Ange Postecoglou is still waiting for his first victory as Nottingham Forest boss after the difficult trees pulled 1-1 on Saturday with Burnley.
Forest, so good at the back last season, are also still looking for their first clean slate of 2025/26.
This is what we saw at Turf Moor.
Murillo Latest
Postecoglou hinted in the press conference on Friday that he would not risk Murillo (£ 5.4 million) On Saturday and so it happened, not even in the team with the middle half.
The good news for Murillo’s owners is that he must be fit for the UEFA Europa League bump on Wednesday with real betis, let alone the game week 6 visit of Sunderland.
“He should be fine for Wednesday. He was close by [to being involved] But it makes no sense to risk players.
“I am really happy with Morato in the middle. He did well. I thought he was coming up.
“The good thing is that we have competition for places, and that is what we need. But the medical team tells me that he must be ready for Wednesday.” – Ange Postecoglou on Murillo, Via Nottingham Live
(Somewhat) higher line, signs of ange ball
At first glance, a 1-1 draw with Burnley is not the kind of result to get the skeptics on the side.
But there were actually some encouraging signs of this competition, at least from an attacking perspective. Forest had 17 shots, the second of each team in Gameweek 6, and no team had more efforts on Target (eight) at the weekend.
But for an inspired one Martin Dubravka (£ 4.0 million), Forest should probably have won this game, even though the XG is relatively close. The keeper of the Burnley pulled out excellent stops to deny Dilane is piled up (£ 6.0 million), Igor Jesus (£ 5.8 million) and Neco Williams (£ 5.0 million), while Chris Wood (£ 7.6 million) and Arnaud Kalimuendo (£ 6.0 million) Both wasted big chances – the former shooting Tamely on Dubravka from Yards and the latter saw a target -related effort blocked with Dubravka Beaten.
Elliot Anderson (£ 5.5 million) Not only collected Defcon points, but should also have had an assist, have had those previously recalling efforts for Jesus and Williams.
The ‘reverse full-backs’ tactics, something that Postcoglou liked to do at Spurs, was also visible. Williams and Oleksandr Zinchenko (£ 4.9 million) Both had three shots each, which drove centrally in threatening positions should be said that the purpose of the first came from a set piece.
And the dreaded higher line was partly evidence, albeit not as cavalier as we had seen at Spurs. Norato (£ 4.4 million) and Nikola Milenkovic (£ 5.5 million) Both sometimes stepped forward, the latter played a nice one-two around the edge of the Burnley Box to go on wood.
The defense remains absolutely a work in progress (it was not yet on the number before Postecoglou arrived), especially with the full-backs. The defense of Zinchenko is doubtful and the back line that must adapt to a new way of thinking. Burnley picked up a dozen shots, although there were seven from fixed plays.
Wood at borrowed time?
Wood had and should have done better with his two chances and finally addicted after 75 minutes. Jesus, at the top, and Kalimuendo seemed more liveled on their introductions.
Postecoglou greeted the impact of his replacements in game week 5, and you wonder how long before one of those two alternatives get the nod in the Premier League.
“I was disappointed about the boys who came on Wednesday evening. I felt that they could have influenced the game more; certainly not today. I think [Hudson-Odoi] and Igor [Jesus] Could have scored and callum, I thought, was really clear. – Ange Postecoglou
If wood starts against real betis in the midweek, you won about his minutes against Sunderland next weekend.
Anthony goes under the radar
This was another deserving version of Burnley, who ran Liverpool and Manchester United in the previous two game week.
There was some stubborn, if not completely watertight defensive, while Dubravka has been excellent since his arrival. Popular banking option option Maxime Was (£ 4.0 million) collected Defcon points for the second time this season, and Josh Cullen (£ 5.0 million) did this for the third time.
Further ahead, Jaidon Anthony (£ 5.5 million) continues to confuse expectations.
He is now the second highest scoring midfielder of FPL, who has already taken three goals and an assist this season. His last strike came on Saturday.
There are also underlying figures to support this – he is in second place among midfielders for NPXGI in 2025/26:
The setup of Scott Parker certainly helps. Quilindschy Hartman (£ 4.0 million) offers all width, with Anthony playing much more as a second striker next to Lyle Foster (£ 5.0 million).
Anthony had three efforts on Saturday and came again in the second half of scoring and has now had almost three times as many shots (11) as the second best Burnley player (four).
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