Nottingham Forest were put to the sword by a ruthless Manchester City who showcased some clinical finishing in returning to winning ways.
Goals from Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku ensured a third defeat in four games for Forest who do remain in the top half of the table.
Losing to Manchester City won’t be season-defining for the Reds and De Bruyne did praise Forest for one aspect of their performance at the Etihad Stadium.
Nuno Espirito Santo hooked captain Ryan Yates at the interval and that suggested exactly what he thought about the first-half performance.
Finding positives from a drubbing isn’t always easy but one did emerge last night from a player who simply gets better with each game he plays for the club.
Nottingham Forest's Murillo heads clear during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Ipswich Town FC at City Ground on November...
Photo by Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images
Murillo stars despite Nottingham Forest defeat vs Manchester City
There really are not enough superlatives in the world to keep describing Murillo.
Since checking in at Forest for £10.6 million from Corinthians he hasn’t looked back, becoming ever-present in the Premier League since making his debut in October 2023.
Murillo has been praised by Ian Wright and his performances have seen him become a player valued at around £70 million.
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Against City, he showcased why top European clubs have been monitoring him since he came to Forest.
Who Scored showcases that he actually made two last-ditch tackles during the game and he’s becoming a bit of a specialist in that sense.
He also made four clearances, three tackles and two interceptions during his 90 minutes on the pitch.
Furthermore, he finished the game wearing the captain’s armband for the first time with both Yates and Morgan Gibbs-White leaving the field.
Manchester City tried to sign Murillo
It’s no secret that Pep Guardiola tried to bring Murillo to City before he signed for Forest and he must be kicking himself.
Naturally, City could take Murillo from Forest but he will now be worth far more than the £10.6 million that the Reds paid for his services.
Forest valued the player at £70 million in the summer and that could now have risen considering how well he’s played this season.
Murillo has been a rock at the heart of the back four for Forest and hopefully, the Reds are able to keep him for a little while longer.
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