Nottingham Forest 0-4 Fulham: Aleksandar Mitrovic scores twice as Cottagers cruise at City Ground

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Aleksandar MitrovicAleksandar Mitrovic has 17 goals this season - having also scored two for Serbia

Nottingham Forest suffered their first setback since Steve Cooper became manager as Fulham reclaimed second place in the Championship with a decisive victory at the City Ground.

An own goal by Djed Spence gave the Londoners a half-time lead, with neither side at their best going forward.

Lewis Grabban wasted a chance to equalise after the break and Fulham ran away with the game by scoring three more in nine minutes.

Aleksandar Mitrovic grabbed his 14th and 15th league goals of the season, the second from the penalty spot after a foul on Denis Odoi, either side of a strike by Neeskens Kebano.

The win lifted Fulham above West Bromwich Albion, who beat Bristol City on Saturday, but the Cottagers are still five points behind leaders Bournemouth, with Forest down in 15th.

After managing only one point from the first seven games of the season under Chris Hughton, Forest had made big strides with four wins and a draw since former Swansea boss Cooper was appointed as his successor.

But they were unlucky early on when Mitrovic flicked on Jean-Michael Seri's corner and the ball deflected in off on-loan Middlesbrough wing-back Spence.

Brennan Johnson flashed a shot wide in reply, but Forest's best opportunity fell to Grabban, who swept the ball over the bar from Philip Zinckernagel's cross.

A defensive mix-up left Mitrovic with a chance he could not miss to double the lead and Kebano beat Forest keeper Brice Samba at the near post after a one-two with Harry Wilson.

The Forest keeper guessed correctly but could not quite manage to keep out Mitrovic's spot-kick after Odoi was fouled by Ryan Yates and the closest the home side came to a consolation was Joe Lolley's low free-kick, which Marek Rodak just managed to claw away.

Forest are next in action away to QPR on Friday, with Fulham - who have now won on three successive league visits to the City Ground for the first time since the 1950s - at home to promotion rivals West Brom the following day.

Line-ups

Nottm Forest

Formation 3-4-1-2

  • 30SambaBooked at 67mins
  • 4Worrall
  • 3FigueiredoSubstituted forMightenat 60'minutes
  • 26McKenna
  • 2Spence
  • 22YatesBooked at 66mins
  • 8ColbackBooked at 16minsSubstituted forGarnerat 51'minutesBooked at 65mins
  • 15Lowe
  • 11ZinckernagelBooked at 58minsSubstituted forLolleyat 62'minutes
  • 20Johnson
  • 7Grabban

Substitutes

  • 1Horvath
  • 13Bong
  • 17Mighten
  • 21Ojeda
  • 23Lolley
  • 33Taylor
  • 37Garner

Fulham

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Rodák
  • 4OdoiBooked at 45minsSubstituted forTeteat 77'minutes
  • 16Tosin
  • 13ReamBooked at 38mins
  • 33RobinsonBooked at 69mins
  • 24Seri
  • 10Cairney
  • 8WilsonBooked at 77mins
  • 14De Cordova-Reid
  • 7KebanoSubstituted forOnomahat 71'minutes
  • 9MitrovicSubstituted forMuniz Carvalhoat 83'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Tete
  • 3Hector
  • 6Reed
  • 19Muniz Carvalho
  • 21Gazzaniga
  • 25Onomah
  • 65Stansfield

Referee:James Linington

Attendance:27,470

Live Text

  1. Match ends, Nottingham Forest 0, Fulham 4.

  2. Second Half ends, Nottingham Forest 0, Fulham 4.

  3. Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Josh Onomah.

  4. Attempt blocked. Max Lowe (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

  5. Foul by Kenny Tete (Fulham).

  6. Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  7. Attempt blocked. Ryan Yates (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Joe Lolley.

  8. Attempt blocked. Joe Lolley (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by James Garner.

  9. Foul by Rodrigo Muniz (Fulham).

  10. Joe Worrall (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  11. Harry Wilson (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  12. Foul by Max Lowe (Nottingham Forest).

  13. Substitution, Fulham. Rodrigo Muniz replaces Aleksandar Mitrovic.

  14. Attempt missed. Josh Onomah (Fulham) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Bobby De Cordova-Reid following a fast break.

  15. Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Tosin Adarabioyo.

  16. Foul by Jean Michael Seri (Fulham).

  17. Joe Lolley (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  18. Substitution, Fulham. Kenny Tete replaces Denis Odoi.

  19. Harry Wilson (Fulham) is shown the yellow card.

  20. Harry Wilson (Fulham) has gone down, but the referee deems it simulation.

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