Nottingham Forest defeated Fulham 3-1 last night, and Nuno Espirito Santo decided to return Danilo to the starting lineup.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chris Wood, and Morgan Gibbs-White scored to give Forest all three points in this major City Ground encounter.
What did not go unnoticed was Forest’s onslaught in the first 45 minutes, when they put Fulham to the sword.
Espirito Santo’s team decision, however, sparked some interest, with Brazilian sensation Danilo stepping in from the cold for Forest.
The Reds were always going to make one or two changes after beginning slowly against Crystal Palace at the weekend and then rallying back to draw.
Anthony Elanga replaced Divock Origi in the starting lineup, with Danilo making an intriguing midfield replacement for Forest record signing Ibrahim Sangare.
The Brazilian hasn’t played much lately, but in this match, he was called upon to partner Ryan Yates and was given the opportunity to press his claim.
Danilo deserves a run in Forest games.
Someone should simply inform Forest midfielder Danilo that it is April all year round. Around this time last year, the £18 million signing from Palmeiras came of age.
He scored in three consecutive games towards the close of last season, and his performances improved in a Forest shirt.
Last night, we had a sight of Danilo again, as he blessed every blade of City Ground soil with his presence.
Sangare was always going to come out of the team on Tuesday night, despite his lackluster showing on Saturday.
However, it was expected that Nicolas Dominguez would take over as Forest’s next commander, therefore Danilo’s inclusion was rather unexpected.
The 22-year-old has only started 13 games for Forest this season, and he is looking for consistency in the middle of the park.
Last night, he provided an excellent assist for Gibbs-White, and his entire performance was rather good throughout the game.
Nuno Espirito Santo may bring the best out of Danilo.
Much of the current Forest team chooses themselves. However, Espirito Santo has had some serious challenges in the center midfield region.
Sangare and Ryan Yates look to be an unsuitable pairing, as both players are defensive-minded.
Then there’s Dominguez to consider, as well as Danilo, who might play a key role for Forest.
Danilo took the stage last night, and he demonstrated to Espirito Santo why he is worth keeping with by putting on a lungbusting performance.
The 22-year-old did not forget his defensive duties, as Who Scored shows he made five interceptions and three clearances.
He also made two important passes and completed 77.3% of his attempted passes in 90 minutes on the field.
Last night, we believe, was Forest’s greatest performance since their return to the Premier League.
The return of Danilo was a major element in this, and Forest manager Espirito Santo must now give the Brazilian a chance in his team.
