Nottingham Forest fell to a fourth straight Premier League defeat that will see them enter October in the Premier League relegation zone after being beaten 3-2 by Fulham.
As was the case against Bournemouth earlier this month at the City Ground, the Reds took a first-half lead, this time Taiwo Awoniyi headed home after Ryan Yates flicked on a Morgan Gibbs-White corner-kick 11 minutes in. But Fulham responded before the hour mark with goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, João Palhinha and Harrison Reed which ultimately rendered Lewis O'Brien's first Premier League goal merely a consolation strike.
Back-to-back defeats at home against their fellow promoted sides have caused more than a few critics to question the Reds' top-flight credentials seven games into the season. Here is a selection of the national media in the aftermath of Friday night's match.
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Guardian
This was like the EFL Championship on steroids. Last year’s second-tier champions Fulham deserved their victory over the playoff winners, Nottingham Forest, after a three-goal burst in six second-half minutes. Forest lost a fourth successive Premier League game on the night Premier League football returned after the Queen’s death.
The fact Aleksandar Mitrovic did not celebrate his 28th birthday with a goal shows there is strength in depth behind Fulham’s feared No 9. These are worrying times for Forest, however, as they try to get their 22 summer signings to gel.
Tosin Adarabioyo, Palhinha and Harrison Reed scored Fulham’s goals in five minutes and 18 seconds, the Premier League’s fastest three goals since Arsenal scored three in four minutes and 45 seconds in a 3-3 draw with Liverpool in December 2017.
Once again, as against Bournemouth, Forest led at the interval; once again against promoted rivals they let the lead slip. As Fulham climbed to sixth in the table, Steve Cooper’s team remain rooted in the relegation zone. It is all very well spending around £150m on an entire new squad but at some stage pretty soon they really will need to get to know each other.
The brutal reality has hit home now for Nottingham Forest. Despite spending all that money over the summer, they still look a long way short of being a competitive Premier League outfit.
Results such as that six-goal thrashing at the hands of Manchester City and the home loss to Tottenham are all part of the elite learning curve. But when you’re tossing away leads to lose to Bournemouth, as they did a fortnight ago, and then surrendering an early advantage here, the alarm bells have to be clanging very loudly.
Despite leading thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s header, Forest never looked like converting it into three points that would have been invaluable just before the international pause. Instead, they were blown away by three Fulham goals in the space of six tumultuous minutes just after half-time to succumb to a fourth straight defeat.
The way Forest were outsmarted and sliced open with embarrassing ease doesn’t bode well for escaping the relegation zone they already inhabit.
Mirror
Nottingham Forest suffered another second half blitz as they struggle to get a hold on life in the Premier League.
Taiwo Awonyi put them ahead after 11 minutes, but in a repeat of their collapse against Bournemouth, Fulham blasted in three in five minutes and 18 seconds of the second half. Sub Lewis O’Brien gave Forest hope of salvaging something 13 minutes from time but Fulham were too wise for them.
It leaves Forest with four successive defeats and manager Steve Cooper a lot to do to knit together his 22 signings into a team capable of staying in the top flight. Tosin Adarabioyo launched the comeback in the 54th minute and Joao Palhinha (57) and Harrison Reed (60) followed him to give the Cottagers victory.
Telegraph
Five minutes and 18 seconds were all Fulham required to force Nottingham Forest into another meltdown in front of their own supporters.
For the second home match in a row, Forest were reduced to a quivering mess as Fulham flipped the momentum of the game in an amazing second-half blitz to move into the Premier League’s top six.
Ahead of Steve Cooper’s first anniversary in charge, this was another uncomfortable experience for the Forest manager in a near repeat of the capitulation against Bournemouth in their last outing at the City Ground. Forest have now lost four matches in a row, conceding 14 goals in the process, and it is Fulham who appear far more settled on their return to the top division.
Times
[Fulham] look Premier League quality, quick in thought and body. Forest, by contrast, look disjointed. They have signed a raft of new players and when asked if it would take them time to gel, the Forest head coach, Steve Cooper, said: “It’s looking that way. We look like a new team. That’s the stuff you normally address in pre-season, but we’re doing it in the middle of the Premier League. But we look no further than ourselves. The only thing we can do is work hard, address that and improve.”
Fulham’s life was made easier by Forest retreating after gaining the lead, and by the home side’s defenders, such as Steve Cook, being vulnerable to pace. They also have to start Lewis O’Brien, who brought some fight and thought to midfield when he came on at 3-1 down and briefly inspired hope of a comeback with a neat strike.
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