Bassey’s First Goal of the Season Dents Forest’s Top Four Dream

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Nigerian international defender, Calvin Bassey, scored his first English Premier League goal of the season yesterday to give Fulham a deserved 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.

Bassey’s goal in the 62nd minute was all the London club needed to earn all three points at stake and climb up to eighth on the table, five points behind fourth-placed Manchester City.

The Super Eagles defender who last scored in the English topflight almost a year ago, towered over his national teammate on the backline of Forest, Ola Aina in aerial battle, to head the ball across goal beyond the diving reach of Matz Sels and high into the net.

Earlier in the first half, Fulham got themselves in front in the 15th minute thanks to Adama Traore’s creative brilliance after he superbly picked out Emile Smith Rowe.

Rather than hit the byeline on the right flank Traore jinked inside on to his left foot then deftly curled an inch-perfect ball towards the back post where Smith Rowe evaded the attentions of Morato and Ola Aina to head in.

However, Forest equalised eight minutes before the half-time interval after some superb centre-forward play by Chris Wood. The equaliser set the tone for another possible win for Forest to keep their dream of a Top-4 finish this season a reality.

But after Bassey’s goal, there was no real threat from Coach Nuno Espírito Santo’s men for any equaliser.

Forest however retain their third spot on the log on 47 points, just three points above Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on 44.

Elsewhere, another Super Eagles player, Paul Onuachu, contributed an assist but it was not enough to earn Southampton a share of the spoil at home against Bournemouth who won 3-1.

Arsenal kept their pressure on Liverpool at the top after defeating Wilfred Ndidi’s Leicester City 2-0 to now go just four points behind The Reds who have a 3pm kickoff against Wolves today.