Nottingham Forest have been cruising through the season with few setbacks, but today they were caught off guard by a slow start in the capital, ultimately paying the price. Adama Traore, who has been a constant threat to many teams this season, played a pivotal role, breezing past Neco Williams and delivering a pinpoint ball to the far left post, where Emile Smith-Rowe was on hand to head home. Williams, who was struggling to cope with Traore's pace and trickery, was under pressure throughout the first half, setting the stage for a challenging afternoon. Despite their dominance, Fulham could have been further ahead before the half-hour mark when Raul Jimenez’s header was brilliantly denied by Matz Sels. However, Fulham’s inability to convert chances came back to haunt them as Forest equalized just before the break. A clever lofted pass from Morgan Gibbs-White found Chris Wood, who controlled it well and fired home his 18th league goal of the season, bringing Forest level.