“Did Everton deserve the win”- Furious Notthingham forest manager Nuno Esparito delivered honest verdict amid ‘struggling’ admission as Nottingham Forest slip to Everton defeat
Murillo Error Costs Forest as Nuno’s Side Slip to Late Defeat Against Everton
Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo chose not to place blame on Murillo after the defender’s late mistake led to a 1-0 defeat against Everton at the City Ground.
In what was a lackluster performance from the Reds, Forest appeared to be heading for a draw until Murillo, typically dependable, misjudged a moment in the 94th minute, allowing Abdoulaye Doucouré to strike the winner for the visitors.
Despite the loss, Forest remain in third place in the Premier League with six matches remaining, but the race for a Champions League spot has tightened, with Manchester City now just two points behind in fourth.
Speaking after the game, Nuno said of the late error: “It wasn’t normal. The decision wasn’t the best, but it’s not about individual mistakes — it’s about the team.
When one makes an error, the rest have to be there to cover. This time, that didn’t happen.”
He admitted his side fell short on the day. “We’re disappointed — not just with the result, but with the overall performance.
We never really got comfortable or into our rhythm. Everton made things difficult, winning key battles and putting us under pressure. We struggled to create chances.”
Nuno acknowledged the unexpected nature of the performance and credited Everton for their intensity and physicality, but stressed his team needed to respond better.
“If we can’t win because we didn’t play well, then we need to make sure we at least hold on for a point. We didn’t do that, and that’s frustrating,” he added.
“There were no positives today. It’s still in our hands, but no one is going to hand us anything — we have to earn it. This is a critical point in the season.
The fans could see the team wasn’t comfortable, and that’s something we have to fix.”
Looking ahead, Nuno remained focused: “This coming week will be important — a chance to regroup, prepare properly, and raise our level. We need to compete the way we’ve shown we can.”
