Nottingham Forest moved out of the relegation zone in the Premier League after playing out a goalless draw with Fulham at the City Ground.
The result sees Forest climb above West Ham United in the standings, with both sides level on 29 points but separated by goal difference.
Tottenham Hotspur, who were also tied on the same points tally before their clash with Liverpool later in the day, remain locked in the same survival battle.
Despite the positive movement on the table, Forest were left frustrated after two tight offside decisions denied substitute Dan Ndoye what would have been a match-winning contribution in the second half.
Moments after coming on at the break, Ndoye appeared to win a penalty after being bundled over in the box by Fulham defender Calvin Bassey. Referee Sam Barrott initially pointed to the spot, but the assistant referee raised the flag for offside, ruling out the opportunity.
Ndoye thought he had broken the deadlock shortly afterwards when he latched onto a pass from Neco Williams and slotted neatly past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno. However, a VAR check confirmed that the Swiss winger had again strayed offside, leaving the home crowd in disbelief.
The first half had offered little excitement, with Fulham creating the best opening when Bassey headed straight at Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels from close range.
Forest showed greater urgency after the interval and looked the more likely side to find a winner.
Full-back Ola Aina came close to breaking the deadlock against his former club, unleashing a powerful volley from the edge of the box that crashed against the crossbar. Moments later, he was also forced into defensive action, heading a goalbound effort from Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz over the bar.
The hosts had another golden opportunity late in the game when striker Taiwo Awoniyi was played through by Elliot Anderson, but the forward slid his effort wide of the post.
While the result lifts Forest out of the bottom three for now, their struggles in front of goal continue. The club have now gone seven league matches without a win and have failed to score in 14 of their 30 Premier League games this season.
Manager Vítor Pereira will hope his side can turn improved performances into victories as the battle to avoid relegation intensifies.
Forest’s next league fixture comes against Tottenham later this month in what could prove a crucial encounter in the fight for survival.
Meanwhile, Fulham remain comfortably in mid-table under manager Marco Silva. The London club sit 11th on the table, just three points behind seventh-placed Brentford as they continue their push for a possible European spot.
