Fulham take on the visitors Nottingham in the round 17 match of English Premier League. The match will be played on Monday, December 22nd at Craven Cottage (London).
Fulham are, of course, rated lower than their giant neighbors such as Chelsea and Arsenal, or even Tottenham. However, what Marco Silva has achieved, unlike his predecessors, is avoiding another drop to the Championship. Under him, there has been no real relegation battle either: after bringing the club back to the Premier League, the Portuguese coach has kept Fulham roughly at an equal distance from both the relegation zone and the European places. Last spring they finished with 54 points in eleventh place. Overall, it was no surprise that the specialist’s contract was recently extended. Still, at the moment, half of their matches are ending in defeats. Only crisis-hit Burnley were beaten. And this week another setback followed in the League Cup against Newcastle. Recent league results suggest that Fulham are struggling to maintain consistency. Even at home, they have found it difficult to turn decent performances into wins.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Nottingham Forest have gone through several turbulent months. The Tricky Trees, despite their glorious history, only recently returned to the Premier League, and even two seasons ago they narrowly avoided dropping back to the Championship. Last year, in the middle of the previous season, the team were holding on among the leaders, almost like in the old days. By May, however, it all ended with seventh place. Even that was clear progress compared to 2023/2024, but the missed chance to reach the Champions League was not forgiven by Marinakis, and by autumn Nuno Espirito Santo was replaced by Postecoglou. That change did not work out at all, as over a month in charge he failed to win a single match in any competition. Fortunately, the next reshuffle proved successful, and with Dyche victories returned, often on a regular basis. They also managed to win against Utrecht in the Europa League. Against Tottenham, they even produced a convincing 3–0 victory. Forest have clearly gained momentum in recent weeks. Their results indicate growing confidence and improved balance in all competitions.
The London club have won five of the last six official matches, with the only defeat in that run coming last spring at the City Ground. A home win in London looks like the more likely outcome. However, the visitors are performing solidly, so the pick is that they will avoid defeat.
Prediction for the match: Nottingham not to lose (X2).
