Marco Silva is gearing up his Fulham side for the possibility of completing a league double over Nottingham Forest, though his proposed game plan could inadvertently play into the hands of Nuno Espirito Santo.
Fulham secured a 1-0 victory over Forest in September, marking one of the rare defeats for Espirito Santo’s side at the City Ground. Silva had praised Elliot Anderson in the buildup to that match, as Morgan Gibbs-White was suspended, but the English midfielder couldn’t inspire his team to victory, with Forest fans criticizing Taiwo Awoniyi’s performance against Fulham.
Since that encounter, Forest have surged into the top five of the Premier League, firmly in the race for Champions League qualification, and have shown significant improvement under Espirito Santo. However, Fulham are also in the hunt for a European football spot, ensuring Saturday’s clash carries added significance.
Despite Forest’s impressive form, Silva remains confident in his team’s ability to replicate September’s success, as he demonstrated during his pre-match press conference.
Marco Silva is confident of his Fulham game plan vs Nottingham Forest:
Silva was asked to assess Forest’s midfield options and discuss the challenges his team will face in the upcoming match. Speaking to the official Fulham website, Silva said: “Of course, they [Forest] are really strong on the counter-attack. They are a team that, if the game is completely open and if you are not balanced, they are capable of punishing you, because we are going to play against a very good side.
“But they know as well that they are going to have a tough task here to play against us at Craven Cottage, because we are confident that we are capable of getting the result that we want – the three points.”
On Fulham’s approach to the game, Silva added: “We like to be dominant, we like to have the ball and to try to create as much as we can. At the same time, we have to be really careful, because they have this capacity, in the offensive transition, to be a very, very strong side.”
While Silva’s confidence is justified, Espirito Santo’s tactical acumen this season suggests the Fulham boss must tread carefully, especially given his acknowledgment of Forest’s counterattacking threat. This isn’t just theoretical either, as Espirito Santo has repeatedly demonstrated his team’s ability to dominate games through swift transitions, with their 7-0 thrashing of Brighton serving as the latest example.
Brighton were punished for dominating possession vs Nottingham Forest
Individual performances certainly played a role in Forest’s emphatic victory, with Stuart Pearce singling out Anthony Elanga’s display. However, tactically, Brighton fell right into Forest’s trap.
| Statistic | Nottingham Forest vs Brighton |
|---|---|
| Possession | 37% |
| Interceptions | 7 |
| Accurate long balls | 26 |
| Shots on target | 9 |
| Expected goals | 3.41 |
Brighton controlled 63% of possession but were repeatedly caught out by Forest’s rapid counterattacks, aided by seven interceptions. Forest’s ability to play long balls to Chris Wood or spread the play wide to Elanga caused constant problems for Brighton, resulting in an impressive xG of 3.41, which Forest comfortably exceeded.
If Fulham adopt a similar approach, the Forest coaching staff will likely relish the opportunity to deliver another masterclass in counterattacking football.
