Fulham winger Manor Solomon says he is starting to “enjoy football again” after scoring his first goal for the club in the Cottagers’ victory over Nottingham Forest.
The 23-year-old Israel international joined Marco Silva’s side after leaving Shakhtar Donetsk following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last July.
Solomon suffered a knee injury in a game behind closed doors in August – just days after making his Fulham debut – but returned to competitive action last month.
He told JEE News Match of the Day: “2022 was the hardest year of my life so far, starting with the war in Ukraine and then signing for Fulham but getting injured.
“I’m happy that this year I’m starting to play and enjoy football again. When the ball went in, all the things I’ve been dealing with came to mind.”
A superb curling finish from former Chelsea and Arsenal winger Willian broke the deadlock in the first half, before Aleksandar Mitrovic, Bobby de Cordova-Reid and Andreas Pereira all came close to doubling the hosts’ advantage.
Willian and Pereira were both denied a goal frame shortly after the restart, but Forest – who lost centre-backs Willie Boley and Scott McKenna to injuries early – improved as the second half went on. .
Substitutes Jonjo Shelvey and Emmanuel Dennis almost combined to bring the visitors back on level terms, but the latter sent his header straight at Bernd Leno, before Suleiman scored a confident late winner.
Steve Cooper’s side have dropped one place to 14th after their first league defeat of 2023, while Fulham have moved above Brentford to seventh.
Willian’s wonder goal before Suleiman’s first strike
Fulham enjoyed good luck with injuries to Boley and McKenna disrupting the away defence, but it was a display in keeping with the Cottagers’ impressive campaign so far.
Confident and confident, Silva’s side deservedly ended a run of more than five hours without a Premier League goal when Willian scored his third goal of the campaign.
It looked like the chance was over when Mitrovic and De Cordova-Reid were both denied by last ditch blocks, but Willian collected the ball and calmly slotted it past five Forest defenders into the top corner to break the deadlock. Delivered.
Mitrovic almost ended his own five-game goal drought after taking Willian’s pass in his stride and fending off two Forest challenges, but the striker’s shot on goal was blocked by Keylor Navas.
De Cordova-Reid rattled the crossbar with a vicious right-footed strike and Pereira flashed a shot wide of the far post as Silva’s side finished the first half on a high.
In the early stages of the second period there was little change in play as Willian’s curling shot hit the post and Pereira sent a free-kick over the bar.
But keeper Leno had to be on his toes to deny Denis from point-blank range as the visitors pressed for an equaliser.
If Fulham fans were wondering if their team might regret their mischief, Suleiman calmed their nerves with a powerful finish from Pereira’s low cross in the 88th minute.
Disappointment at both ends for Forest.
Forest’s bid to avoid an immediate return to the Championship has gained momentum in recent weeks, but they suffered an early blow here as Boley and McKenna were sent off after just seven minutes – the first time any team in the Premier League I have replaced two starters. the game
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Cooper told JEE News Match of the Day afterwards. “We won’t hide behind it, but it was certainly an unfortunate situation. It meant we couldn’t make more changes in an attacking sense in the second half.
“They’re both hamstrings. A scan in the next 24 to 48 hours will determine the extent.”
Joe Verrall and former Atletico Madrid defender Felipe came on as substitutes, but Forest’s makeshift defense was powerless to stop Willian putting the hosts in front.
The visitors managed just five touches in the opposition penalty area before the break, but second-half introductions from Dennis and Shelvey looked like the spark Forest needed to get back into the contest.
Dennis in particular was a major threat, but the former Watford man’s header – Forest’s only shot on target – failed to beat Leno.
Cooper’s side have found the back of the net just three times on their travels this season and have failed to score in nine of their 22 top-flight encounters – only Bournemouth and Wolves have had more clean sheets in the league.
