Fulham -head coach Marco Silva is enthusiastic about the competition that develops between attackers Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz.
Muniz entered the side and scored a competition-winning brace in their 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup fourth round, after he had previously come off the bank to score the winner against Newcastle in the competition last time.
Although the FA Cup -appearance from Muniz was its first start since the previous round, Silva wants to suggest that the battle for a place in the XI is healthy for the team.
“It's certainly a great competition between him and Raul,” he said. “It is always good if you have two strikers that have scored goals, and important goals for us.
“The best example is what happened the last Premier League match against Newcastle, when both scored.
“If you get the chance to start a game like Rodrigo, you have to go in a step and he has done it. This is what you want.
“I know I have made 10 changes. Sometimes it is not easy to maintain the same consistency in terms of playing, but most of the time we have done it.
“Rodrigo did something that is really strong. In the box is really strong. I am really happy with the second goal, because it is something we have worked with him, with these types of runs and movements.
“That is something that is clear to improve, to sometimes understand that we cannot always play with our back to the goal.
'Great reaction for him. Not surprised, because he is at a good time, such as Raul. Great competition, only for me, for me to decide who will be the best solution for every game related to the strategy, the moment, the moment, the moment oppositively too. “
Nottingham Forest Head Coach Nuno Espirito Santo has meanwhile defended his squadrotation during the FA Cup after their fine victory at Exeter City.
Nuno made 10 changes on the side that Brighton hit 7-0 in their last Premier League match, with midfielder Danilo the only player who retains his place in the starting line-up.
Forest players have on average more minutes (1,032.2) than at any other club in the Premier League while retaining their struggle for a Champions League place.
“This was our idea, to try to make a platform for our players to have playing time and to help us continue for the rest of the season,” he said.
“If everyone has minutes in their legs, it will make things easier for us [in the Premier League]I hope. As long as we are healthy and have enough figures, I think we can really compete well in both competitions.
“There are no starting players or substitutes, it is a team that we will use to face all the matches that are in front of us.
“It's not about resting players, it's about rewarding the players who work so hard. Many of them come in games and have so much impact, so why not change things?”
Players to watch
Fulham – Raul Jimenez
Jimenez has scored three goals in his last two Premier League matches against Nottingham Forest, while he is also a removed from reaching double digits in the competition for the first time since 2019-2020.
The Mexican has also scored four goals in its last six league games, including Fulham's first in 2-1 their comeback victory on Newcastle United previous time-out.
Nottingham Forest – Chris Wood
Since the beginning of last season, only Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea (12) have combined for more Premier League goals than Chris Wood van Nottingham Forest and Anthony Elanga (11), with elanga's 10 assists for wood most for a specific player At the time.
Wood is the third in the Premier League Top Goalcorer classification with 17, two back on the Erling Haaland of Manchester City and five further Drift by Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.
Match -Prepeling: Fulham Win
Fulham has won four of their five Premier League matches against Forest (L1), including both meetings in Craven Cottage with a total score of 7-0.
They also come here in good recent form, after they have won two of their last three Premier League matches (L1), as much as in their previous 10 games in the competition (D6 L2), and could win consecutive competition matches for the first time Since November.
Fulham has also lost only two of their last eight Premier League matches in which they admitted the opening goal (W3 D3), with their three victories in 2024-25 only improved in 2002-03 (four).
Forest, however, has won eight of their last 10 games in the Premier League (D1 L1), with five of their 10 clean sheets in the competition this season in their last eight games.
Victory for Nuno's Side will reach them for the first time since 1995-96 in a season of the top flight, while because of their 25th game, this would be the second fastest that they have ever done in a campaign of top flight after 1977-78 (23rd match when converting to three points/victory).
But they have lost nine of their last 12 league matches against Fulham and won the other three. Two of those three victories came in road matches (2-1 in August 2019 and 1-0 in April 2022, both in the championship).
Opta wins probability
Fulham – 44%
Drawing – 26.8%
Nottingham Forest – 29.2%
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