VAR Denies Dan Ndoye and Nottingham Forest in Stalemate Against Fulham
For the briefest of moments, it seemed that Vítor Pereira and Nottingham Forest were finally going to break their Premier League duck. Dan Ndoye, introduced as a half-time substitute, burst into the area after the hour-mark and sidefooted a perfect finish, prompting an explosion of relief at the City Ground.
However, the joy of taking the lead against Fulham was cruelly ended by the video assistant referee, adding extra pain for a side that has struggled with the final touch all season. Pereira's excruciating run continues, as he is still waiting for his first Premier League victory this campaign. He has managed only four points from his 14 matches in charge of Wolves and Forest combined.
Relegation Battle Intensifies
For now, the relegation battlers will have to look on the bright side. A draw took them out of the bottom three, but only goal difference is keeping them above West Ham, whom they beat in January to create a seven-point gap. They cannot just rely on a Tottenham meltdown to secure their survival.
Both sides entered the match in a downbeat mood. Forest had suffered a 1-0 defeat against Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday night, while Fulham spurned the opportunity of reaching an FA Cup quarter-final with their loss to Championship side Southampton last Sunday. Marco Silva's team find themselves in a familiar place: milling around mid-table, falling just short of a serious cup adventure, and still waiting for a return to European competition.
Team Changes and First Half Struggles
Silva had Harry Wilson, his leading goalscorer this season, available again after two games out with an ankle injury. Pereira made a tweak to the team that held Manchester City to a 2-2 draw at the Etihad, welcoming back Callum Hudson-Odoi on the right wing to take on Antonee Robinson.
The first half was largely sedate, with Forest looking nervy, perhaps still carrying a Europa League hangover, and Fulham comfortable without venturing into the final third. Elliot Anderson was the one man providing urgency in red, even if his execution was missing. Moments after sending a corner straight out of bounds, the England midfielder burst through the lines by latching on to an Igor Jesus knockdown. He cut across Calvin Bassey inside the area, but what should have been a left-foot curler was dragged comfortably wide of Bernd Leno's goal. Bassey came closest for Fulham, with a close-range header testing Matz Sels's reflexes.
Finishing Woes Persist
As ever with Forest this campaign, the finish was missing, following 22 unsuccessful shots launched against Midtjylland in the week. Wolves are the only side to have scored fewer goals in the league. It wasn't there again when Forest put together their best move of the first 45 minutes. Morgan Gibbs-White's backheel on the left found the onrushing Neco Williams, whose cutback met Nicolás Domínguez at the edge of the area. Trying to precisely find the bottom left corner, the Argentinian needed more power to beat Leno.
Pereira, meanwhile, watched without a poker face, leaping in frustration when Jesus failed to control an Anderson pass before the half-hour mark. No wonder that Forest re-emerged after the break with a different template. Gibbs-White moved central and was accompanied by two new widemen, Omari Hutchinson and Ndoye brought on to stretch the seams.
Second Half Drama and VAR Controversy
Ndoye was immediately effective, running in behind to seize upon a ball over the top by Murillo. Bassey bundled him over, Sam Barrott pointed to the spot, but the linesman's raised flag was up quickly to save the visitors. Ola Aina nearly stunned before the hour-mark, the right-back walloping with his left foot from the edge of the area to smash the crossbar.
The celebrations arrived when Ndoye ran in behind, collecting from Williams, and knocking it past Leno. Here, finally, was the clinical edge. Out came VAR to spot the barest of offsides, with the left heel beyond the line. Fulham very nearly made things worse seconds later when Rodrigo Muniz chested and smashed a volley. Aina was the saviour, his headed block denying a goal.
Late Efforts and Manager Reactions
Taiwo Awoniyi, replacing Jesus, came closest late on, but there was a surprise when Gibbs-White was replaced in the 74th minute. Silva was pleased with the clean sheet, while Pereira had to cling to his side's efforts. The Forest head coach emphasised the spirit of the team, but acknowledged that goals are desperately needed to turn their season around.
