The discussion will continue about this weekend’s Premier League action and Nottingham Forest’s first loss of the season.
Nuno Espirito Santo opted for four central midfielders in the home match, leaving Forest without a real attacking threat. With Callum Hudson-Odoi, Anthony Elanga, Jota Silva, and Ramon Sosa on the bench, Forest struggled to challenge Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno during the entire 90 minutes.
Despite questionable decisions from match officials, which left owner Evangelos Marinakis frustrated, Forest couldn’t find their rhythm. Raul Jimenez scored the game’s only goal from a penalty after Murillo was deemed to have fouled Andreas Pereira, though it appeared to be an accidental collision.
Martin Keown, speaking on BBC’s *Final Score*, shared what he’d have told Murillo. Keown said, “It’s very soft… Jimenez makes a big meal of it, and they get the penalty.” While Murillo was mostly solid, he may have been a bit naive to challenge Pereira for the header, which led to the penalty.
Still, Murillo was arguably Forest’s best player on the day. Alongside Nikola Milenkovic, the defense looks more settled. While this was a setback, Forest’s tally of nine points from six games has surpassed expectations, and Espirito Santo can now focus on their next challenge against Chelsea.