Fulham 2-1 Nottingham Forest: Did you know?published at 17:37 15 February
17:37 15 February
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Fulham have won their three Premier League home games against Nottingham Forest by an aggregate score of 9-1, only against Norwich City (4/4) do they have a better 100% home win rate in the competition.
'We're delighted with the performance'published at 17:18 15 February
17:18 15 February
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Fulham's Emile Smith Rowe, has been speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after today's victory: "I think it was a massive win for us today. It was important for us to get three points on the board and we're delighted with the performance.
"I feel like our form away from home has been really good but the consistency at home we haven't really been clinical enough. I think today was important that we bounced back at home.
On pushing for Europe: "Of course, that was the ambition at the start of the season. At the same time we've got to keep pushing, taking every game as it comes. It's really tight so we've got to stay focused."
Fulham 2-1 Nottingham Forest - send us your thoughtspublished at 16:54 15 February
Sutton's predictions: Fulham v Nottingham Forestpublished at 11:01 15 February
11:01 15 February
For the first couple of months of the season I was talking about how good Fulham are at home - I obviously put the mockers on them because they have not won any of their past five league matches at Craven Cottage.
Nottingham Forest, who needed penalties to get past Exeter in the FA Cup on Tuesday, have got an excellent away record and Liverpool are the only top-flight team to have picked up more points than them on the road this season.
This is hard to call, though, because we know Fulham can turn it on, and they are a hard team to predict.
They won at the City Ground earlier in the season but this time I am going with my club, Forest, to get a point and continue their push for the top four.
'I get emotional just thinking about it' - Nuno on Jimenezpublished at 17:47 14 February
17:47 14 February
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Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo admits he still gets "emotional" thinking back to Sunday, 29 November 2020 when Raul Jimenez suffered a sickening head injury against Arsenal.
Jimenez received treatment on the pitch for 10 minutes and was diagnosed with a fractured skull before being taken to hospital for surgery.
"The relationship I had with Raul was amazing," Nuno said. "And just to see him playing after, after what happened... believe me, it's a huge joy for me.
"I get emotional just thinking about it.
"I'm looking forward to seeing him again. It doesn't matter what he does on the pitch - OK, he scores or not - just to see him is wonderful."
It took Jimenez eight months to recover from fracturing his skull before playing for the Premier League club again and he joined Fulham in July 2023 for a fee of about £5m.
The answerpublished at 16:58 14 February
16:58 14 February
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Earlier, we asked you to name the former Fulham manager from a series of clues.
The answer was Chris Coleman, who was in charge between 2003 and 2007.
Silva on Willian, Muniz and Nottingham Forestpublished at 15:05 14 February
15:05 14 February
Josh Lobley BBC Sport Journalist
Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
He started off with a squad fitness update: "We hope there is nothing new. As of now, we are going to have the same team as we did in the last two. Kenny [Tete], Harry Wilson and Reiss Nelson are still out."
Silva says Willian will "be in contention" to play against Nottingham Forest upon his return to the club: "He's going to be in the squad list. Of course you have to go day by day with Willian to get the best from him. We know what he can give us and how we can help him to perform. It's difficult for me to say when we are going to have him at his best, but he is working hard."
He says that he has always had faith in Rodrigo Muniz becoming a success at Craven Cottage: "In that moment [of signing him] I was really confident and I really asked the club to buy him. He didn't have a lot of senior matches in his legs, but I really believed that he was going to be important for us. He is still young and there is a lot more to come from him. If you can provide for him, he is a very good striker."
Silva is expecting a close contest against high-flying Nottingham Forest on Saturday: "They are really strong on the counter-attack and if the game is completely open, then they can punish you. They are going to have a tough task to beat us at Craven Cottage because we are confident. It will probably be a tight game."
On his relationship with fellow Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo: "We know each other from [our playing days], but much more in England than in Portugal. We have small conversations now. He is doing a great job."
Fulham v Nottingham Forest: Did you know?published at 11:55 14 February
11:55 14 February
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Fulham have won four of their five Premier League games against Nottingham Forest, including both meetings at Craven Cottage, racking up an aggregate score of 7-0.
Nottingham Forest have benefitted from more errors that have led to a goal than any other side in the Premier League this season (13), while only Arsenal (zero) have made fewer errors leading to a goal than Nuno Espirito Santo's side (two).
Today's trivia challengepublished at 08:57 14 February
08:57 14 February
Name this former Fulham manager from the following clues:
I am one of the youngest men to manage a Premier League club;
My first full season in charge of Fulham ended in a ninth-placed finish;
As managed my country to the semi-finals of a major tournament.
Answer will be revealed at 17:00 GMT
Should Fulham be pushing for a higher spot?published at 16:07 12 February
16:07 12 February
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BBC Sport pundit and former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha has been answering your questions on your club.
Tom asked: What realistically should the target for Fulham be? Should we be content with a Crystal Palace-style 40-plus points and 10th to 15th in the Premier League for over 10 years? Or should the recent success of our old Championship rivals Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest inspire us to look upward and challenge the establishment?
Nedum replied: Clubs should always be looking up. The reality is that 10th to 15th in the Premier League is fine, but a team like Fulham should be pushing for more.
Forest and Bournemouth are currently in a higher position, but it doesn't feel like they have played particularly better than Fulham in parts of this season.
From when I have spoken to him, Marco Silva is an ambitious manager and he is not willing to accept that everything is fine with a 15th-place finish. The club have got better players than that and the manager is better than that, plus they have a lot of experience and belief in the squad.
The majority of the players are internationals who know they are playing in a good side, so they too will have big aspirations for the league. Plus the club have continuity from recent seasons and that cannot be undermined.
Who is to say it is not going to be your year when the season starts? No-one.
Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford
'Silva never doubted Muniz'published at 12:19 11 February
12:19 11 February
Drew Heatley Fan writer
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It has been quite the 12 months for Rodrigo Muniz.
This month marks a year since he announced his arrival in the Fulham first team, scoring four goals in four games during February 2024. He went on to score five more last season, picking up the Premier League's player of the month award for March and finishing as our top scorer.
He celebrated this weekend by scoring both goals against Wigan in the FA Cup. That double came a week after he helped us to our first league win at St James' Park in eight years, showing how valuable he is to us.
Muniz's FA Cup goals brought his tally to 16 in the past year - including strikes at Anfield and Etihad Stadium - a fine impact considering Marco Silva rotates the Brazilian with veteran Raul Jimenez in the number nine slot.
It is quite the change in fortune. As the song goes on the Craven Cottage terraces: "He went to Boro and didn't even start.". That loan spell on Teesside in 2022-23 produced just two goals in 17 appearances.
But Silva never doubted Muniz. Our manager was instrumental in his arrival from Flamengo as a 20-year-old in the summer of 2021. He handed him 25 appearances in our Championship-winning season of 2021-22, which he repaid with five goals, and he kept the faith with him despite 17 goalless games before his purple patch last season.
It is not just Rodrigo's goals endearing him to the Fulham faithful. His samba shuffles, permanent smile and friendships with his team-mates - including his idol and mentor, Willian, who recently returned to Craven Cottage - have firmly cemented Muniz as a cult hero on the banks of the Thames.
It looks like it is more of the same from Muniz as he starts his latest chapter. And I'm excited to see what is next.
Ask our pundit: Send in your questions for Nedum Onuohapublished at 18:26 10 February
18:26 10 February
Is there something you want to ask about a Premier League club?
Former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha is ready to answer your burning questions and give his thoughts on some of the biggest talking points for a special Q&A.
Do Fulham have a gem in King?published at 12:26 10 February
12:26 10 February
Tom Gayle Match of the Day commentator
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As a neutral, I struggled to recall a Fulham youngster who had progressed through their academy and established themselves as a first team regular. A quick back and forth over WhatsApp with a BBC colleague helped identify a consistent trend. Those who do emerge are quickly snapped up by 'bigger clubs'.
Patrick Roberts was in and around for the first team for two seasons before Manchester City came calling for the teenager in 2015. Harvey Elliott, at just 16, made three senior appearances in 2019 before transferring to Liverpool. Neither player was at the club long enough to hear the chant 'he's one of our own'. Fabio Carvalho was. His breakthrough 2021-22 campaign was in the Championship, during which he scored 10 goals and provided eight assists, helping Fulham secure promotion to the Premier League. After just one season the 19-year-old also opted to head north to Anfield.
The poster boy example from a Fulham perspective would be Ryan Sessegnon, who after making his debut as a16-year-old, subsequently went on to score 25 goals across 120 appearances, before a club record transfer sale to Tottenham during the same summer in which Elliott also left.
The evolution of Sessegnon, who re-joined the club this season, is a clear outlier. Fulham fans will be hoping their latest diamond to surface, Josh King, bucks the trend demonstrated by the majority of those previously outlined.
As with most young players who regularly find themselves amongst a Premier League match day squad, their technical ability goes without question. Yet watching on during Saturday's FA Cup win over Wigan, the aspect which immediately stood out to me was he simply didn't look like a teenager making only a second career start in senior football.
His impressive balance meant I could not recall him ever being pushed off the ball, unless fouled, in what was a very physical game. King, who turned 18 last month, never went missing, was constantly involved in the play, often leading the counter attack, and if not for a better Timothy Castagne cutback, the performance could have been topped off by scoring his first ever professional goal.
Fulham are not in a rush to make King a regular starter. Head Coach Marco Silva alluded to a calculated exposure to the first team environment. When speaking to me during his post-match interview Silva said: "Josh is a top talent we have on our hands that we have to keep giving these experiences to. I think he showed his quality, his bravery and the way he can play between the lines."
The noises suggest King is an asset Fulham want to retain. Competing for minutes alongside the likes of Alex Iwobi, Emile Smith-Rowe and Andreas Pereira will help Silva's plotted drip feed approach. However with the current laser sharp focus on clubs adhering to the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations, it would be naïve to think any home grown player is not for sale.
Tom Cairney is in his 10th season at Fulham. The club captain first met King back in 2018, when the then 11-year-old walked out onto the pitch with him as a club mascot. Cairney has played alongside Roberts, Elliott, Carvalho and Sessegnon, so has a firm understanding of whether or not a youngster can cut it at the elite level.
According to him "the sky's the limit" for King.
Wigan 1-2 Fulham - the fans' verdictpublished at 08:54 10 February
08:54 10 February
Media caption,
We asked for your views on Fulham's FA Cup match against Wigan.
Here are some of your comments:
Kevin: Yet again, a poor Fulham performance against a so-called lesser team. We lack directness and controlled aggression. Credit to Wigan for taking advantage of that. Fortunately we're through to the next round. Bring on a 'big' team!
Will: Any cup win is good and especially with such a rotated side. Great to see Muniz back in form.
Samuel: I believe that we did not get in the box as much as we should have since we relied on crosses to score goals like the first Muniz goal. We were lucky to have Benda in the squad since we were lacking defensively.
David: Fulham strolled through the first half, got sloppy in the second, and squeezed through in the end. Felt it was a low intensity performance overall but happy with the win.
Martin: It doesn't matter how you play, it's about winning and being in the next round draw.
Wigan 1-2 Fulham: Muniz at the double as Cottagers edge throughpublished at 17:42 8 February
17:42 8 February
Matthew Howarth BBC Sport journalist
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Fulham travelled to the Brick Community Stadium having exited the FA Cup fourth round in four of the previous five seasons, and they needed to survive a late Wigan onslaught to avoid another early exit on Saturday.
The Cottagers dominated the first half and should perhaps have led by more than Rodrigo Muniz's header at the break.
A second Fulham goal seemed only a matter of time early in the second half, but Jonny Smith's stunning strike - Wigan's first shot on target - changed the complexion of the tie.
Muniz restored the visitors' advantage not long afterwards, but Wigan soon regrouped and went close to a second equaliser when Ronan Darcy curled a shot wide from the edge of the box.
Issa Diop almost put through his own net and Scott Smith forced a fine save out of Steven Benda, before Darcy had a late goal ruled out for offside.
In the end, Fulham held on by the skin of their teeth to confirm their place in the fifth round.
'We were the favourites and we showed that throughout'published at 17:35 8 February
17:35 8 February
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Marco Silva spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Fulham's victory against Wigan: "It was a tough game. As I said before the match, you get nothing as a guarantee at this level. We were the favourites and I think we showed that throughout the game but the last 15 minutes we showed them they could fight for something. I don't remember one shot from them in the first 45 minutes. We had two or three chances to kill the game and we didn't and of course when the game is 1-0, anything can happen and they have belief.
"It was a great strike for the equaliser but a good reaction from us. When it was the moment to keep more of the ball in the last 15 minutes, we should have kept it a lot more. It was open and we didn't want that because we gave them belief. It was a tough one but I think we deserved the win and deserve to be in the next stage."
On the battle for a starting spot between Rodrigo Muniz and Raul Jimenez: "It has been a great fight between him and Raul Jimenez, great competition, healthy competition. Every single day they are trying to help each other but they know the most important thing is the team. Both are in a great moment. The last game against Newcastle is a good example. It is a good situation for us so let's keep working hard with them and it's up to me who starts the next game."
On youngsters Martial Godo and Josh King: "They are players we believe and trust. We have to give them this experience for them to grow. Martial has had some senior football last season already and it made him grow in a good way. Josh is a top talent we have on our hands that we have to keep giving these experiences too. I think he showed his quality, his bravery and the way he can play between the lines."