Nottingham Forest v Fulham: Key stats and talking points

Relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest take on a Fulham side seeking to avoid a third straight defeat. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Sunday's match (14:00 GMT).

Anderson key to Forest's survival hopes

Nottingham Forest remain winless under Vitor Pereira following Thursday's 1-0 defeat by Midtjylland. The Reds spurned a host of chances against the Danes, failing to build on the momentum from last week's 2-2 draw at Manchester City, which gave them their first league point under the new head coach.

Pereira said his team showed "lots of personality" in twice hitting back from a goal down against City and praised his players for keeping their shape and "waiting for the right moments to hurt" Pep Guardiola's men.

Forest have lacked cutting edge this season, with their tally of 28 goals the second lowest in the top flight. Last year's top scorer, Chris Wood, has missed most of the campaign with a knee injury and while his replacement, Igor Jesus, has shown promise in the cups, he has scored just twice in the league.

Goals will, therefore, need to come from elsewhere, and it was Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson who stepped up at Etihad Stadium.

Anderson has not been a regular goalscorer for Forest, netting four times in 66 Premier League appearances for the club, but he has earned plaudits for his all-round game, particularly his crisp passing. He has made 303 line-breaking passes – forward balls that bypass the opposition's midfield or defensive line to find a team-mate in space. That is more than any other midfielder in the Premier League this season.

Fulham look to rebound against favourite opposition

After back-to-back home defeats by West Ham and Southampton, Fulham need a swift response to stop their season petering out. That was their fate last year, when a disappointing FA Cup loss to Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage was followed by six losses in their final nine league games, scuppering any hopes of challenging for Europe.

Head coach Marco Silva admitted his side simply were not good enough in Sunday's cup exit to Championship side Southampton and had to defend his decision to make nine changes to the starting line-up.

The good news for Fulham is key man Harry Wilson could return after missing the previous two games, while the Whites can also take heart from their excellent record in this fixture. The Cottagers have won six of the seven Premier League meetings between the sides, including a 1-0 victory when they met on 22 December.

Raul Jimenez scored the winner from the penalty spot on that occasion and has regularly been a thorn in Forest's side. The Mexican has registered four goals and an assist in four previous appearances against Sunday's opponents.