Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey won the battle of the Super Eagles stars as Fulham thumped Ola Aina’s Nottingham Forest 5-0 at the Craven Cottage on Wednesday night.
Iwobi scored twice to continue his newly found form in front of goal and make it three goals in as many games in the Premier League, while Bassey was a stalwart in defence, helping his side keep a much-needed clean sheet, their first in nine league games.
Marco Silva’s side started the game on the front foot and almost went in front in the 26th minute, but Andreas Pereira’s freekick was denied by the left side post.
However, it didn’t take too long for them to break the deadlock after a fine team move was finished off by Iwobi in the 30th minute. The Nigerian midfielder got on the end of a cross from Willian, who became the most capped Brazilian in the Premier League with 300 appearances, beating Forest’s goalkeeper Odysseus Vlachodimos from close range.
FIVE-STAR FULHAM. ???? pic.twitter.com/UwgAORlJhs
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) December 6, 2023
The Cottagers doubled their lead four minutes later through Mexican forward Raul Jimenez. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man slotted the ball into the top corner from close range after he was teed up by Pereira.
Iwobi came close to doubling his tally for the game in first half stoppage time, but his shot aimed at the top corner was just wide off the mark after collecting a loose ball following a defensive frailty from compatriot and Forest defender Aina.
Fulham’s dominance rippled into the second half, with Jimenez getting his second of the game with a calmly struck backheel into an empty goal. The No. 7 latched onto a through ball, fended off a challenge from Aina, and rounded Vlachodimos before hitting his effort on goal.
Three soon became four as Iwobi finally got his brace. The 27-year-old had little to do, tapping in a cutback from Harry Wilson into the goal after a fine interchange of passes from Fulham’s right side.
Club captain Tom Cairney got in on the party with the Cottagers’ fifth goal of the game. After a slip-up in Forest’s defense, Cairney played a one-two pass with Pereira before beating Vlachodimos with an emphatic left-footed finish.
The comfortable victory meant Fulham had scored three or more goals in three consecutive league matches for the first time as they moved from 15th to 12th in the Premier League standings, while Forest drop to 16th.
With the games coming thick and fast, the Cottagers will welcome West Ham United for a league clash on Sunday, while Nottingham will make a trip to the Molineux Stadium to take on Wolves a day before.
