🚨 RESULT: Fulham 1-0 Nottingham Forest, Craven Cottage, 22 December 2025. Raul Jimenez scored a first-half penalty to give Fulham a victory that extended their cushion above the relegation zone and condemned Forest to Christmas in the bottom half. The pre-match prediction of a Forest away win did not land. Read on for the full match report and how both clubs’ seasons ultimately played out.
A Raul Jimenez penalty five minutes into first-half stoppage time proved the difference between two sides who struggled to create clear-cut chances across an attritional Monday night contest at Craven Cottage. The goal came after Douglas Luiz was adjudged to have fouled Brazilian winger Kevin in the penalty area, and Jimenez sent goalkeeper John Victor the wrong way from 12 yards to give Fulham a lead they protected until the final whistle.
The result was Fulham’s fourth win in six Premier League games, a run that had transformed their season since the start of November and left them with a significantly healthier cushion above the relegation zone than the situation before Christmas might have suggested. Forest, meanwhile, suffered a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat at Craven Cottage, having conceded nine goals and scored just once in their four visits there.
Match Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | Premier League, Matchday 17 |
| Date | Monday 22 December 2025 |
| Venue | Craven Cottage, London |
| Kick-off | 20:00 GMT |
| Attendance | 27,136 |
| Referee | Anthony Taylor |
Pre-Match Betting Odds
The pre-match analysis had identified Forest as value for the away win, with the Tricky Trees arriving on the back of back-to-back victories, including a 3-0 home win over Tottenham the previous weekend, and Fulham carrying injury absences. Fulham were narrow favourites given home advantage, but the form argument favoured Nuno Espirito Santo’s visitors. In the end the prediction did not land, with Fulham’s defensive resilience and Jimenez’s penalty proving the deciding factors.
Match Report
The opening exchanges were cautious on both sides. Forest’s best chance of the first half fell to Igor Jesus eight minutes in, but the Brazilian forward failed to convert what was a presentable opportunity and the game settled into a pattern of neither side creating sustained pressure in the final third. Both teams registered just three shots on target across the full 90 minutes, underlining the scrappy and tense nature of the contest.
The game was decided just before the half-time whistle when referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot after Douglas Luiz’s challenge on Kevin inside the Forest penalty area. Jimenez stepped up and converted calmly, sending John Victor the wrong way to give Fulham a lead they defended with considerable organisation in the second half.
Morgan Gibbs-White sent a couple of attempts off-target early in the second half as Forest pressed to find an equaliser, but Fulham’s defensive shape held firm and Marco Silva’s side saw out the three points without serious alarm after the 70th minute. The win left Fulham ten points clear of the bottom three at Christmas, a significant improvement on where they had been just six weeks earlier.
How Both Clubs’ Seasons Ended
The December win over Forest proved to be part of an important run for Fulham. Since the start of November 2025, only Manchester City, Aston Villa and Arsenal had accumulated more Premier League points than Fulham, a transformation in form that reflected well on Marco Silva’s work in stabilising the squad after a difficult early-season period. The club finished the 2025-26 Premier League season in 11th place with 52 points from 38 games, a respectable mid-table outcome that gave the manager a platform to build from heading into the summer.
For Nottingham Forest, the season proved considerably more difficult. Sean Dyche’s side spent much of the campaign in the lower half of the table and ultimately finished 16th with 44 points, surviving with eight points to spare over the relegation zone. West Ham, Burnley and Wolves were the three clubs relegated, with Forest never in serious danger of joining them during the second half of the season despite the mid-December concern around their position. The Europa League campaign, which had added fixture congestion throughout the autumn, was eventually ended in the knockout rounds, and Forest refocused on domestic survival from January onwards.
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All odds correct at time of original publication, December 2025. Please gamble responsibly. For help with problem gambling visit GambleAware.org. 18+.
