More bad news for Nottingham Forest as Nuno Espirito Santo confirms fresh injury after Brentford defeat
Forest Slip to Sixth After Brentford Defeat as Defensive Woes Continue
Nottingham Forest’s hopes of climbing the Premier League table took a hit on Thursday night as they suffered their third defeat in four matches, falling 2-0 to Brentford. The result leaves them in sixth place, with concerns mounting over recent form and defensive lapses.
Defender Murillo had a night to forget, struggling throughout the match and playing a key role in the build-up to Yoane Wissa’s goal. Forest fans were quick to voice their frustration, criticizing Murillo for repeatedly ball-watching. Fellow centre-back Nikola Milenkovic also came under fire.
After the match, manager Nuno Espirito Santo admitted he was caught off guard by his team’s poor handling of Brentford’s long balls.
Nuno: “Not a good performance”
“Not a good performance,” Nuno told BBC Match of the Day. “It’s something we have to analyse. We’re usually solid against balls over the top, but credit to Brentford. They defended well and didn’t give us much—it was a disappointing night.”
Adding to Forest’s woes, winger Callum Hudson-Odoi was forced off at half-time with an injury, which Nuno later confirmed.
“He felt something in the first half and couldn’t continue,” he said.
Despite slipping out of the top five, Nuno insisted he’s more concerned about correcting errors than the current standings.
“It was a bad night and a bad game,” he said. “I’m not focused on the table right now, just on how we can fix the mistakes. Brentford played well, but we should have dealt with the situations better. We didn’t create enough and our defending wasn’t at the level it needs to be.”
He also dismissed suggestions that the team’s recent semi-final may have led to fatigue, saying: “It was physically demanding, yes, but we still should have defended better. We need to compete with more intensity to reach our goals.”
Next Up: Crystal Palace Away
Forest won’t have much time to dwell on the loss as they prepare for another tough test on Monday night. They travel to Selhurst Park to face a confident Crystal Palace side, fresh off a dominant 3-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Aston Villa.
However, Forest can take some confidence from their earlier meeting this season, where Chris Wood scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory over Oliver Glasner’s men.
