Why one of Nuno Espirito Santo’s greatest strengths is becoming a weakness – and how Fulham’s Marco Silva exploited it to cut down Nottingham Forest

No good ever came from a premature obituary, but the same might be said of taking two wins from five games when possibilities are so rich.

It is to Nuno Espirito Santo‘s great credit that Nottingham Forest‘s place in the top four can withstand a few wobbles, and yet doubts about their staying power are creeping in.

All indicators from Saturday’s defeat at Fulham, where they were pummelled mercilessly off either wing by Alex Iwobi and Adama Traore, pointed to a side losing their legs at an inopportune moment.

Nuno makes a fine play on the ‘one game at a time’ mantra, but if campaigns are determined by how you handle certain clusters of fixtures, at key periods, then their next three in the league feels like a defining stretch.

After Newcastle on Sunday, they face Arsenal and Manchester City. That could be the making of them, or it could be a cold-water awakening, which is why those of us who have savoured their bolt from left-field will take no heart from the performance at the weekend.

A tight scoreline should not disguise the nature of the hiding, which allowed Fulham, a fine side verging on very good, to beat Forest for the second time this season. They battered them in all areas of the pitch and in all configurations.

Forest struggled to cope with the pace and skill of winger Alex Iwobi (right) at Craven Cottage

Next up in the league for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are Newcastle, Arsenal and then Man City

When Nuno sought to counter-punch from a back three with wing backs, as they had done so well in slapping seven shades out of Brighton the previous weekend, they were utterly obliterated in the spaces behind on the flanks.

In one 20-minute passage of the first half, Traore got by Neco Williams three times and made a goal for Emile Smith Rowe. Tweaking for a solution at 1-1, after Chris Wood had equalised with his 18th goal of the season, Nuno went to a back four and improved but found no reliable way through Marco Silva’s press.

Come the finish, Calvin Bassey’s header had given Fulham their second but it might have been four or five for the chances they created. Williams wore a protective mask but each of Nuno’s starters shared the look of having run into a wall face first.

The overriding impression is that Forest are tired. There’s no shame in that and it would also be predictable – Nuno has used only 23 players this season, the least of any manager in the Premier League. Nine of them have started 18 league games or more and the frailties of the second string were shown by the FA Cup near-miss at Exeter on Tuesday.

Consistency of personnel has been among Nuno’s strengths, but his players are carting a lot of lactic acid into the final third of the season.

Their margin to fifth remains healthy at four points, though that spot is held by Bournemouth, who walloped them for five and are going well, and sixth and seventh are occupied by Chelsea and Newcastle. Even on the back of a bad round of games, they aren’t two clubs you wish to see in the rearview mirror.

An interesting factor in broader European discussions are Fulham themselves. They have teetered between fine and very good in a curiously wonky season – points have been taken from Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle, with four dropped to Ipswich – and Saturday showcased their better side.

Their navigation of Forest was more comprehensive than anything even Liverpool have managed. When facing a side that can be lethal on the counter, it pays to commit few mistakes and Silva’s side never fell from the highwire.

Marco Silva’s side have put themselves into European contention after an impressive season

Calvin Bassey added a second for Fulham, but the scoreline didn’t reflect their dominance

Silva spoke of ‘dominating’ the match, but also highlighted how he knew precisely what system Nuno would choose and how they would play it. 

Have Forest become a fraction predictable? Silva certainly seemed to have his number.

For Fulham, a place in the Conference League is eminently achievable but qualification for the Europa League also remains possible.

Smith Rowe said: ‘It is really tight at the top of the table but we have to keep winning, keep working hard. We really showed what we are capable of and have beaten Forest twice – we have to keep going.’