Former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland defender Mark Lawrenson has tipped Fulham to beat Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage, despite the Reds being unbeaten in their previous five Premier League outings.
Forest sit comfortably in 13th, having lost just once following the Premier League's mid-season resumption.
The early-season doubt surrounding their survival credentials has now been eradicated with a top-half finish not, completely, out of the discussion.
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Last weekend's triumph over Leeds United was indicative of just how far the club have come under Steve Cooper. Whilst not at their best at the City Ground, Forest showed a steely determination and hung on to seal a vital win courtesy of Brennan Johnson's sublime finish.
The result was made even more impressive after Leeds went 2-0 up at Old Trafford on Wednesday and emerged with a point against Manchester United. With that being said, however, beating Fulham will not prove straightforward.
Marco Silva has overseen a tremendous campaign at Craven Cottage, putting to bed the club's reputation as a 'yo-yo team.'
Fulham previously avoided defeat against West London rivals Chelsea in the Premier League, whilst also progressing into the FA Cup fifth round after beating Sunderland in midweek.
And Lawrenson backed the Cottagers to maintain such form, pointing to Forest's fortune against Leeds as a reason to back up his reasoning.
He wrote in his PaddyPower predictions column: "Nottingham Forest beat Leeds last time but I thought they were really fortunate, Leeds could have been 4-0 up at half time and Forest were all over the shop defensively.
"Fulham are very competitive with lots of pace and guile and then there’s Aleksandar Mitrovic up front as well. They’re really impressive, Fulham, and the midfield is outstanding which is the key for them."
Mark Lawrenson's prediction: Fulham 2-1 Nottingham Forest.
What's your prediction for Fulham vs Forest?
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