It needed something special to beat Keylor Navas and Willian provided it with a goal of the highest class before his replacement Manor Solomon finished the job off to give Fulham yet another three points, in what is turning out to be a special season for the Cottagers. They are now 7th in the Premier League.
Marco Silva stuck with an unchanged side from Fulham’s goalless draw at Stamford Bridge last week while Steve Cooper made two changes from Nottingham Forest’s win at home to Leeds with Serge Aurier and Gustavo Scarpa coming in for Neco Williams and Danilo.
Just seven minutes in, Steve Cooper was forced into doing something rather bizarre, removing his centre-back pairing of Willy Boly and Scott McKenna with both pulling up with injuries.
On came Joe Worrall and Felipe, for his Forest debut after signing from Atletico Madrid – it was the earliest that any side has ever subbed off two starters in a Premier League game.
And ten minutes later, the visitors problems were compounded by a stunning finish from Willian. Leeds struggled to find a way past Navas last weekend at the City Ground and it was indeed a moment of brilliance from the Brazilian to open the scoring.
Forest failed to clear the ball from the box and when it came out to Willian on the right-hand side of the box, he took a touch and sat down his compatriot Renan Lodi before curling in a wonderful inch-perfect strike with his left foot past Navas and Serge Aurier on the line.
It couldn’t have been any more in the top corner. It was a goal oozing with class and a stark reminder that even at the age of 34, Willian still has what it takes.
Yet this is a Forest side that can play and they very nearly levelled shortly after when the in-form Brennan Johnson picked out a sliding Chris Wood but a crucial touch from Issa Diop sent the ball out for a corner, which Felipe headed over from.
Up at the other end, Willian was rolling back the years. He turned provider down the left flank, finding Aleksandar Mitrovic, who produced some great footwork dummying one way and then the other to bamboozle the Forest defence but was denied by Navas.
Fulham should have at least doubled their advantage by the interval as they peppered the Forest goal. Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s strike from distance was too good for Navas but rattled the crossbar before Andreas Pereira fired wide from close range.
The second half began in a similar fashion. Willian cut in onto his right foot and hit the post with a strike from outside the box before Pereira’s free-kick struck the crossbar. By now, Forest were living a charmed life and Cooper looked to his bench.
He made his second double-change shortly before the hour mark, removing Orel Mangala and Gustavo Scarpa for Emmanuel Dennis and Jonjo Shelvey – who came on for his Forest debut.
Minutes later, Chris Wood was taken off for Andre Ayew and Cooper had made all five of his substitutions by the 63rd minute.
Forest suddenly looked threatening with Brennan Johnson volleying over and then Dennis missing the target from inside the box after Serge Aurier’s cross found him in acres of space down the left.
Morgan Gibbs-White thought he was through on goal, only to be denied by a brilliant tackle from Fulham captain Tim Ream.
Shelvey’s curling delivery then found the leaping Aurier but Bernd Leno was finally called into action and he responded with a top save.
Willian pulled up with a niggle and received a standing ovation from the home faithful as he walked off and his replacement, Manor Solomon, put the icing on the cake with two minutes remaining.
Pereira found the 23-year-old in acres of space down the left and he took a touch before finishing with his right foot past Navas to carry on Fulham’s memorable campaign.
