Fulham v Nottingham Forest: 5/1 Bet Builder as goal-fest awaits at the Cottage | OneFootball

English Premier League Tips

Goals, and lots of them, are fancied at the Cottage

Both teams are brimming with confidence after fine wins last week but key absences muddy the waters. Ste Tudor therefore focuses on cards, corners and second-half strikes...

Fulham v Nottingham ForestMonday 22 December, 20:00Live on Sky Sports Main Event

AFCON absences weaken both teams

Reshuffles and rejigs are the order of the day for both sides this Monday evening as they adapt to losing key personnel to AFCON.

For the hosts defender Calvin Bassey will be a big miss and the same goes for Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze, the latter boasting five goal involvements in five.

As compensation they have Harry Wilson enjoying a wonderful purple patch, the Welshman assisting twice and scoring last weekend at Turf Moor. He only seems to score picturesque goals.

Forest meanwhile make-do without their midfield fulcrum Ibrahim Sangare. The Ivorian also assisted twice and converted last week.

A key detail ahead of this intriguing clash is the high volume of goals that have flown in at either end in recent Fulham fixtures. With Marco Silva's men clinical at the business end but porous at the back it makes BTTS at 4/5 a decent add to any bet builder. Forest too have blown hot and cold of late, but they'll take that over the predictable defeats suffered prior to Sean Dyche's arrival.

Callum Hudson-Odoi is the player to watch after the winger's fine showing vs Spurs. He is 9/2 to score again in West London and that tempts because his goal contributions do tend to come in streaks.

Wait for the drama

Fulham dominate the H2H, winning five of the six Premier League meetings, three of them to nil. Last season in this exact fixture the Cottagers won out 2-1, a result that would have been more comprehensive but for Forest stopper Matz Sels making eight saves.

If recent history leans into a home victory however back-to-back losses at the Cottage for Marco Silva's men casts some doubt on this, while Forest were merciless and inventive against Spurs last week.

The Tricky Trees certainly offer up the best value at 19/10 and are fancied here to come good after the break. Nine of Forest's 12 goals scored under Dyche have been converted in the second half.

In every Fulham fixture this term meanwhile there has been at least one goal scored - either for or against - beyond half-time.

Goals are almost a given

It's been a whole calendar year since Fulham last played out a goalless stalemate. For Forest we have to go way back to February when hosting Arsenal. Going off that latter date, that means that, combined, these teams have competed in 54 Premier League games without a single 0-0 to their names.

If goals therefore feel like a given at the Cottage, Fulham's recent prolificacy up top and haemorrhaging of goals at the back only adds to this conviction. Their last four outings have produced 5 goals per 90. That's a goal every 18 minutes.As for the visitors, five of their eight games so far under Dyche have produced over 2.5 goals.

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Neither side have overly troubled referees this term, Fulham averaging 1.7 yellow cards per 90, Forest 1.6. Only Nicolo Savona was booked last time out for Forest while Fulham haven't had a single player cautioned in their last two home outings.

Switching our focus to corners we find that Forest have won five more than Fulham overall in 2025/26 but it's the hosts who should be backed here, winning eight vs Forest at home in each of the last two seasons.

In their last five fixtures next to the Thames, the Cottagers have averaged 7.2 corners per 90.

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