Dyche suggests Fulham defeat was harsh on Forest
Raul Jimenez's first-half penalty proved decisive as Fulham defeated Nottingham Forest, denying them the chance to pull clear of danger.
Sean Dyche believes Nottingham Forest did enough to avoid defeat against Fulham on Monday, while acknowledging they failed to perform in attack.
Forest were beaten 1-0 at Craven Cottage in the final Premier League fixture before Christmas, with Raul Jimenez on target from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time.
The result leaves Forest – who are 17th in the table – five points clear of the relegation zone heading into the festive schedule, while Fulham are five points ahead of them in 13th.
It was a game of few clear-cut chances, with Fulham only having one shot on target while Forest had two.
The visitors only accumulated 0.6 expected goals (xG) from their 12 attempts, with Fulham's 11 shots totalling 1.5 xG. The Cottagers also had two Opta-defined big chances, while the visitors had none.
Speaking to Sky Sports after full-time, Dyche outlined his disappointment with Forest's attacking efforts, but suggested a draw might have been a fair result.
"We had good moments, but never really threatened – you have to ask more questions," he said. "Our goalkeeper has not had a save to make, apart from their penalty.
"I'm just disappointed, we had looked a threat against Tottenham, but tonight, we didn't when we got into the final third.
"Sometimes, it is just a frustrating night. There was not much in the game, I don't think it was a particularly good game, but you have to get something from it, and we weren't able to.
"They got praise – rightly – for a big performance last week, but that edge, that killer instinct, it wasn't there tonight. It's a reminder if you're not at it, it will go against you."
Forest face Manchester City in their next game on December 27, with Everton and Aston Villa up next either side of New Year's Day.
"We want to win as many games as we can, and it was a good opportunity tonight," Dyche continued. "It would've been a good point.
"We didn't do enough to lose the game, so that's the frustration. We have to do the basics better."
Forest have now failed to score in four of their last six away Premier League games and in five of their last eight, after finding the back of the net in each of their previous eight.













