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Fulham manager Marco Silva has revealed that Calvin Bassey has been hard at work to improve his positioning in the opposition penalty area this season, Footynaija.com reports.
Silva’s words came after Calvin Bassey grabbed his first goal of the season to lift Fulham to a fine 2-1 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Bassey struck in the 62nd minute to hand Fulham their 10th league victory of the campaign, propelling them to seventh in the table.
The Super Eagles star’s goal – his second in the EPL – saw become the joint-fourth highest-scoring Nigerian defender in Premier League history, behind Joseph Yobo (8 goals) and Ola Aina and Celestine Babayaro, who both have five.
The victory also saw the Cottagers become the first team this season to complete a league double over Forest.
Despite Forest coming into the match off the back of a stunning 7-0 win against Brighton, they were comprehensively outplayed by Fulham, who dominated possession and created the better chances.
Bassey, a key presence in Fulham’s backline, had been solid throughout the season but had yet to find the net. His breakthrough goal will not only boost his confidence but could also see him become a greater threat from set pieces.
Praising Bassey’s impact for Fulham, Silva also confessed the Nigerian centre-back had been encouraged to get into scoring positions more often.
“The players’ celebration showed how much they appreciate Calvin,” Silva said. “It was his first goal for the club (this season), and he’s a very popular figure in the dressing room. We’ve been working on his positioning in the box, and it was great to see him finally score.”
Bassey has started 24 of Fulham’s 25 Premier League games this season, cementing himself as an integral part of Silva’s team.
