Fulham boss Marco Silva is delighted to see Raul Jimenez back to his best, after his 50th Premier League goal gave them all three points against Nottingham Forest.
The Mexican has struggled for regular goals since a serious head injury he suffered playing for Wolves against Arsenal in November 2020.
But Jimenez, who joined Fulham in July 2023, has started this season superbly and has now scored three goals in three successive matches, and he proved the difference against Forest with a well-dispatched penalty.
Silva told BBC Sport: “It's great to see him back at that level again after that bad incident when he was at Wolves. It was tough for him to come back.
"In an important moment of his career, when he was struggling for goals, we showed trust in him, and believed in him. He got used to scoring before the incident but we trusted him.
“From the first moment at this club he showed his hard work and his quality. It's nice to see him score and be decisive for us."
Silva also revealed that Jimenez had apologised for taking the ball off designated penalty taker Andreas Pereira prior to scoring from the spot.
He told Premier League Productions: “Pereira was the penalty taker for the moment. It is not Andreas' fault but it is clearly the fault of Raul.
"It is already decided. It is already sorted. It is not going to happen again. Has Raul apologised? Yes. He had to because he knows the rules and how important discipline is in our squad."
Jimenez is now just four goals away from Javier Hernandez's record as the most prolific Mexican player in Premier League history.
He said: "Yes, why not break records and set new ones. He [Hernandez] was a very good player in English football and now it's my time and I want to keep scoring.
“The most important thing is the three points. It's early in the season, and we have a long way to go, but being there is good for us. We want to make history for Fulham and know we can achieve more."
Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo admitted his side were not at their best, though they still had chances to get back into the match, as they fell to their first defeat of the season.
“Not the best game from us,” Nuno said to BBC Sport. “But we still created near the end and had opportunities to score, we have to bounce back in the next one.
“I’m disappointed for the fans – we are sad, but we have to go again.”
Nuno refused to be drawn on the penalty decision, with VAR intervening after an infringement between Murillo and Pereira, replays showing the defender scraped his studs along the latter’s calf.
He said: “If we start speaking about the referees, I don’t know if it’s the best thing. I hope they improve. I don’t want to go much further than that.”
Saint Lucia, Haiti stay perfect in Groups B and C of League B
Saint Lucia and Haiti consolidated their leads atop their respective Concacaf Nations League groups following contrasting wins in their League B encounters on Friday.
Caniggia Elva’s late brace in the 76th and 90th propelled St Lucia to a 2-1 win over Saint Martin, who led for most of the contest courtesy of Axel Raga’s 30th-minute strike in their Group B clash at the Darren Sammy Ground.
The win moved Saint Lucia to maximum nine points from three games. Curacao and Grenada, who played out a goalless stalemate in the other group contest, sit second and third on four points each, while Saint Martin is still yet to get on the board.
Over in Group C, Haiti beat host Aruba 3-1 at Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion.
Tyron Perret Gentil fired Aruba in front in the sixth minute, but Haiti responded through Frantzdy Pierrot (31st), and a brace from Duckens Nazon, who scored from the penalty spot in the 38th, followed by a 61st-minute close range effort.
The win saw Haiti move up to nine points from three games, three points ahead of Sint Maarten, who clipped Puerto Rico 3-2 in the other fixture.
Chovanie Amatkarijo (44th, 85th) and Imar Kort (49th) got the job done for Sint Maarten, while Rodolfo Sulia (2nd) and Alec Diaz (90+5) got Puerto Rico’s goals.
Puerto Rico remain on three points, with Aruba still pointless.
Saka and Jones withdraw from England's Nations League squad
England have confirmed that Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and Liverpool's Curtis Jones have withdrawn from the squad ahead of their Nations League clash with Finland on Sunday.
Saka was replaced by Noni Madueke in the 51st minute during England's shock 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley on Thursday after picking up an injury in his right leg.
It only adds to Mikel Arteta's injury worries ahead of facing Bournemouth next Saturday after Martin Odegaard was injured on international duty for Norway last month.
Saka has enjoyed a fine start to the Premier League campaign, scoring two goals and laying on a further seven assists in the Gunners' opening seven games.
The England international has also created more chances (27) than any other player in the division, with his nine goal involvements a total only bettered by Chelsea's Cole Palmer (11) and Manchester City's Erling Haaland (10).
Lee Carsley will also be without uncapped Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, who was added to the Three Lions squad earlier this week, but has since withdrawn due to a personal commitment.
Jones earned his first call-up in May as part of Gareth Southgate's provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024, but did not make the final cut.
The 23-year-old was part of the Young Lions side that won the 2023 European Under-21 Championship under Carsley, scoring the only goal in their 1-0 win over Spain in the final.
Former Liverpool defender Matip confirms retirement
Former Liverpool defender Joel Matip has confirmed his retirement from professional football.
Matip, who joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2016, has been without a club since leaving Anfield at the end of last season and has since decided to call time on his 15-year career.
The 33-year-old started his career at Schalke, making 258 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit and helping them lift the DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup in 2011.
Matip was among the first signings made by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, joining in the same window as Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Loris Karius.
He helped the Reds return to the Champions League in Klopp's first full campaign in charge, making 29 Premier League appearances and keeping nine clean sheets.
However, his spell with the Reds was marred by repetitive injuries, sustaining 16 different issues across his eight-year spell on Merseyside.
The former Cameroon international's final appearance for Liverpool came in a 4-3 win over Fulham in December 2023 after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the same game.
Matip made 201 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and winning six major honours, which included the Reds' sixth Champions League triumph.
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