Nottingham Forest’s impressive nine-game unbeaten Premier League streak was halted on Saturday by Bournemouth, with Nuno Espirito Santo visibly frustrated throughout the match.
The loss to Bournemouth marked Forest’s first defeat of 2025, casting some doubt on their ambitions for European football.
Bournemouth may have been surprised by the ease of the victory, especially given Andoni Iraola’s pre-match comments on Forest’s away form, but Forest appeared overwhelmed by the hosts’ relentless energy.
This defeat was particularly disappointing given the positive mood at the City Ground earlier in the week after Murillo signed a new contract with the club on Tuesday. However, the Brazilian defender had an uncharacteristically poor performance against Bournemouth, which clearly frustrated Espirito Santo on the touchline.
Murillo’s struggles were highlighted when, with Forest trailing 1-0 at halftime, he made one of his signature runs into midfield, only to waste a long-range shot that sailed well wide of goal. BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty quickly noted Espirito Santo’s furious reaction to the miss, describing his full range of gestures before storming back to his seat in clear frustration.
The frustration only deepened as Forest conceded four second-half goals in a humiliating defeat, with Murillo’s stats from the match showing his struggles.
Up against Bournemouth’s backup striker, Dango Ouattara, after Evenilson’s injury, Murillo endured a tough afternoon. He was out-jumped by Ouattara for the second goal and out-muscled for the third, as the striker completed his hat-trick.
Murillo lost five of his nine duels, including half of his aerial battles, against a Bournemouth side that lacked height in attack. His passing also faltered, completing just 74% of his attempts, which surely frustrated the Forest coaching staff as their side struggled to build attacks from the back.
Given Forest’s reported demand for a world-record fee for Murillo, interest in the Brazilian may have cooled after such a disastrous performance against Bournemouth.
‘Full range of gestures’: BBC reporter spots Nuno absolutely ‘furious’ at Nottingham Forest star
