Murillo signs new deal with Nottingham Forestpublished at 19:51 BST 23 May
19:51 BST 23 May
Image source, Getty Images
Nottingham Forest defender Murillo has signed a new contract with the club, which extends his stay until the summer of 2030.
The Brazilian centre-back previously agreed a new deal in January 2025 and has now opted to add a further year to his time at the City Ground.
Murillo has made over 100 appearances for Forest since he joined in August 2023.
On signing the new deal, he said: "This is my second renewal with the club and I'm feeling so happy.
"It's a dream and it's really important for me, my family and my career. It shows me how important I am for the Club and that people have confidence in me."
The 23-year-old has played 39 times in all competitions this season but will miss the final game of the league campaign against Bournemouth with a hamstring injury.
Sutton's predictions: Nottingham Forest v Bournemouthpublished at 17:16 BST 23 May
17:16 BST 23 May
There will be no last-day drama for Nottingham Forest, who have done pretty well to stay up when you consider they have had four different managers this season.
This is Andoni Iraola's last game in charge of Bournemouth and I am expecting him to win it.
The Cherries showed how good they are against Manchester City in midweek and they will be on the front foot again here.
Leaving Gibbs-White out ‘a big call’published at 16:00 BST 23 May
16:00 BST 23 May
Image source, Getty Images
The team on BBC Radio Nottingham’s Shut Up And Show More Football podcast have been chatting in-depth about England boss Thomas Tuchel's decision to omit Morgan Gibbs-White from his World Cup squad.
"It is a big call. I've got to admit, I'm surprised," said Colin Fray.
"Gibbs-White has struggled to get into some of Thomas Tuchel's squads since he has been around but I just thought he's a head coach, a manager, who talks about picking players on form, not just because they are big names, and I don't think he could do any more than what he done.
"His form over the last few weeks, couple of months, three months, has been absolutely outstanding - probably the best of any English player around, certainly in an attacking sense, so I don't think he could have done any more."
Gibbs-White has scored 14 Premier League goals this season, level with Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.
"Given how well he has been playing - given his goal contributions, given the form or lack of and the minutes or lack of of some of the players that he's effectively vying for positions with - I thought Thomas Tuchel might find a place for him," Fray continued.
"The other thing is, that he can be versatile. He can play in the number 10 role but he can also play, as we have seen to great effect at Forest over recent weeks, off the left-hand side, so he can offer you cover in two positions within your squad.
"There are all sorts of reasons why I would certainly have thought that Tuchel would have chosen him in his squad. He hasn't, it could come back to bite him - or he could be sitting there with a World Cup trophy for the first time in 60 years by the end of July and smiling and saying: ’There you go, I told you so.'"
Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.
Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:25 BST 23 May
13:25 BST 23 May
Chris Adams BBC Sport journalist
Bournemouth visit Nottingham Forest on Sunday knowing they are already assured of a first European adventure next season – but they need a number of results to go their way to land a place in the Champions League.
It was Forest who enjoyed their own continental quest this year, with an impressive run to the Europa League semi-finals providing a welcome distraction to their domestic woes.
Pereira pulling up Trees
Vitor Pereira took over from Sean Dyche in February and has steered the Tricky Trees to safety thanks in no small part to an eight-game unbeaten run that ended with a 3-2 defeat by Manchester United last week.
In fact, since the Portuguese head coach's arrival, Forest have been the eighth-best team in the division.
Morgan Gibbs-White was on the scoresheet again at Old Trafford, his 14th league goal of the season, but he was absent from the England World Cup squad named by Thomas Tuchel on Friday, despite boasting better numbers than some of the attacking midfielders selected.
Pereira's side enter the final day in 16th but could still climb as high as 11th with a win and several kind results elsewhere, although this is not ordinarily a fixture they fare well in.
Forest are winless in all seven of their Premier League games against Bournemouth (D3 L4) - that's both the most they've faced a side without ever winning and the most the Cherries have played a team without losing in the competition.
Iraola's last stand
Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola will want to bow out on a high in what is the Spaniard's last game before departing Vitality Stadium – and what a position he leaves the club in.
The Cherries are sixth, which may be enough for a Champions League spot, but it relies on Aston Villa, who are currently fourth, finishing fifth. Regardless, they cannot drop lower than seventh, and therefore a Europa League spot, at the very least, is guaranteed.
Had it not been for a vast number of draws, the Dorset club might already have confirmed their place among Europe's elite. They've shared the points 17 times this season; one more stalemate would set an outright Premier League record for a 38-game season.
It's already the most draws by any side finishing in the top half of the table since Newcastle United in 2003-04 (17, finished fifth).
Nine of those draws have come in Bournemouth's ongoing 17-game unbeaten run in the league, a sequence that is unrivalled in the top flight this season.
Defender Marcos Senesi will also bid farewell to the Cherries faithful on Sunday after confirming he will leave the club upon the expiry of his contract.
Only left-back Adrien Truffert has played more minutes this season among his outfield team-mates, while goalkeeper Djorde Petrovic is one of just six players in the league to have played every minute of the campaign so far.
'A disgrace' - fans on Gibbs-White's England omissionpublished at 10:44 BST 23 May
10:44 BST 23 May
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on Morgan Gibbs-White not being included in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the World Cup.
Here are some of your comments:
Jon: Massively unlucky! His numbers don't lie. Aside from figures, he's been the main man at Forest, particularly in the second half of the season and has been key to their Premier League safety. His work rate is second to none, he's creative and offers versatility across four or five key positions. Not sure what else he could have done! Class player.
Stephen: When you consider the understanding that he has built with Elliot Anderson it's beggars belief that he has not been included. No other player in his position can match his figures and he can also play on the wing if needs be.
Emma: Very unlucky. Tuchel has definitely looked over key players. Gibbs-White is the top English goal scorer in the Premier League this season. He deserved a spot on the England plane.
Steve: What does he have to do? He's the highest scoring English player in the Premier League! It's disgusting.
John: Purely on form this seems to be a big mistake by Tuchel. Gibbs-White will run all day and gives his all. His goals and assists for a struggling Nottingham Forest side this season makes you wonder just how many he would have got in a more settled team. Surely it's the biggest mistake out of England's team selection for this World Cup?
Mike: Definitely unlucky and better then Jordan Henderson by a country mile.
Jenny: It is a disgrace that Gibbs-White has been overlooked just because we are not part of the fashionable 'big six'. He deserves better.
Tuchel names 2026 World Cup squadpublished at 10:17 BST 22 May
10:17 BST 22 May
Thomas Tuchel has named his 26-man squad to represent England at the 2026 World Cup hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), John Stones (Manchester City), Jarrell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen - loan), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Djed Spence (Tottenham)
Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona - loan), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
Alex Scott (Bournemouth), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Josh King (Fulham) and Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal) will also be part of the Three Lions' pre-tournament squad in Florida when they face New Zealand and Costa Rica.
The England boss added that one more player will also join his squad in Florida, but did not name the individual.
Tuchel said Bournemouth's Scott had an "outstanding" reaction to not being named in the 26-man squad.
"The commitment, the wish to be in pre-camp and just be a step closer to the team, was not even a question to him. This showed me his character and spirit. He gets a chance to take a step closer and to get a cap," added Tuchel.
Tuchel on his 26-man squad: "An exciting day for me and I think for everyone selected. From day one we were very clear that we were trying to build and select the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select and collect 26 of the most talented players. Teams win championships – it is as simple as that.
"What we're trying to achieve in the summer can only be achieved as a team. That in mind, we chose a very balanced squad. We chose three goalkeepers, plus Jason Steele (as training goalkeeper). I want to take the opportunity, and thank Jason for being brilliant, and thank Brighton for being so cooperative.
"We chose nine defenders for four positions, we chose seven midfielders for three positions, and we chose seven strikers for three positions.
"I can assure every fan in the country that we have 26 100% committed players with us. Who know their role, who are ready to buy into their role on and off the pitch and who are ready and committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish."
Pereira on fitness 'risks', player meeting and Gibbs-White's 'expectation'published at 16:52 BST 21 May
16:52 BST 21 May
Millie Sian BBC Sport journalist
Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to the media before Sunday's final Premier League game of the season against Bournemouth at the City Ground (kick-off 16:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Murillo, who is still out of first-team training, and Ola Aina, who has only just started training on grass again, will not be available for selection.
Pereira explained: "We are at a point in the season where we will not take risks. Of course we want to win, but this isn't a final or a game that will decide big things. We will do everything to get a result, but it isn't possible to take risks."
However, Dan Ndoye has completed two training sessions with the squad and could be available for selection.
When asked if he is still thinking about the Manchester United goal that should have been ruled out, Pereira replied: "I still have the same opinion that I transmitted to the referee. I accept the decision because I also make mistakes, but it was a mistake that decided the game. It wasn't fair and I like to see fair football."
The Forest boss, however, does not agree with Michael Salisbury not being selected for the final day of Premier League fixtures. Instead, he would like to see the referee "correct his mistake and learn from the experience".
Pereira held a meeting with his players on Thursday before the final game of the season, in which he said: "I hope we can keep most of them because they are a very good group with a lot of character. I don't want to do anything that involves a lot of changes [this summer] because we already have a good base to build something strong for the future."
He added: "I also told them they are one of the best groups I've worked with in my career. They are very easy to work with, to convince and to create the true spirit of a team with. For me, they are a privilege to manage."
This will not be "a game for experiments" as he already feels he has "a good perspective" of his players and he knows "what they can or can't give" in different positions.
On Bournemouth's successes this season, having qualified for European football for the first time in their history: "What can I say other than fantastic work. They are a very tough team. They run a lot and they play with a lot of intensity, so we won't have time to recover against them."
He added: "We need to be ready because we are playing at home and it is the last game of the season. The club, the supporters and the team deserve to finish in a good way, but to do that we must compete against a strong team."
Morgan Gibbs-White "obviously deserves" a spot in Thomas Tuchel's official World Cup squad feels Pereira, and he added: "At the end of the day, he has done everything in his control to be there. All we can do in life is do our best and see what happens."
The pair had a "short talk together" on Thursday in which Gibbs-White outlined his "expectation to go" to the major tournament.
'Pereira deserves chance to continue everything he has started'published at 12:27 BST 19 May
12:27 BST 19 May
Pat Riddell Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Having secured Premier League safety for another season, a summer of stability and careful planning is precisely what is needed for Nottingham Forest after the chaos that has gone before. And while it is yet to be announced, a new deal for Vitor Pereira is exactly what is needed.
There will, no doubt, be other managers available - Marco Silva, Oliver Glasner and Andoni Iraola to name a few - but we do not know which clubs will be after them. And, more importantly, having tried out multiple managers in one season, we have found one that fits.
Both Nuno Espirito Santo and Steve Cooper were successful because they understood the club. They understood the fans. They brought a sense of togetherness, unity and direction to a club that often loses its way.
Pereira arrived in February and not only fulfilled his role as firefighter - keeping the flames of relegation at bay - but took us to the brink of our first European final in over 40 years. And, unlike some other managers, managed to do it with a little humility as well as a great deal of flair.
The 57-year-old managed to shore up the defence, set free the talented attacking talent and bring the fringe players into the fold, all in the space of three months. We all know football is - or can be - entirely unpredictable, but he absolutely deserves the chance to continue everything he has started.
With a full pre-season, fresh transfer window and full squad of players to work with, then maybe we can look forward to a future where we are consistently at the right end of the table and pushing for honours - rather than avoiding the bottom three.
Forest now have a very solid base to work from and hopefully Pereira's experience and wisdom will cement those foundations and ensure we continue building in the right direction.
Has Gibbs-White forced his way into Tuchel's England plans?published at 16:49 BST 18 May
16:49 BST 18 May
Chris Collinson BBC Sport statistician
Image source, Getty Images
Morgan Gibbs-White has been a talisman for Nottingham Forest this season, especially since the arrival of Vitor Pereira, and has forced himself into serious contention for Thomas Tuchel's England squad - and maybe starting XI.
He is the joint-top scorer in the Premier League this year, alongside Brentford striker Igor Thiago.
Gibbs-White has twice as many goals and assists in the league in 2026 as any of his rivals for the England No.10 spot.
While one of his goals was a penalty, four of Cole Palmer's six goals have come from the spot which makes Gibbs-White's goalscoring this year stand out even more.
He has 10 non-penalty goals this year, while no one else in contention for England's 10 spot has more than three.
Eric: Great performance from United. Forget the contentious handball decision - they were well-deserved winners after hitting the post twice, numerous other missed chances and a fair share of contentious decisions against them throughout this season. Some 29 shots at goal and Forest's keeper did well - and fair play to them as they added to a very entertaining "dead rubber", as Chris Sutton put it.
Mark: A really enjoyable game where we really should have scored more but a shoutout to Forest for making a good effort. We really need to tighten the defence up, especially at full-back, where we aren't good enough. Replacing Casemiro will be pivotal so it will be interesting to see who's brought in. Onwards and upwards then - I hope we can win something next season and push on from there.
Andrew: I thought this was a good performance overall, albeit definitely lucky with the second goal. Forest have been a solid side of late so it's a good result. It's so obvious that the focus needs to be on the Casemiro replacement. Look at Gibbs-White and Anderson - they'd transform United! Amad was wasteful and poor again! The defence was awesome! I hope we make signings early, not after the World Cup!
Christine: It was a very open game, especially in the second half and Bruno could have had five assists. Shaw scoring gave the game some impetus, and United actually pressed forward, with Mbeumo and Cunha scoring. The defence was comfortable but could have been tighter with the two Forest goals. Coming third in the Premier League has to be Manchester United's best season in years. From the depths of despair, achieving top three behind Manchester City and Arsenal is fantastic and United need to spend well in the summer with personalities that will fight for the club.
Nottingham Forest fans
Kris: A great display from a tired and depleted Forest side, away at a rejuvenated Manchester United. Such a pity it was largely settled by a very dubious refereeing decision. A lot of talk will turn to where Anderson 'ends up' next season, but I don't see this United team and manager attracting a player of his calibre.
John: A terrific display from every player. We deserved at least a draw but it wasn't to be and we all know why. Thank goodness we didn't need the points to stay in the Premier League. A great game spoiled only by the referee. VAR was supposed to prevent that.
Jason: Forest played well, best in a while, shame about the handball incident, but the referee made a wrong call. He clearly handled the ball.
Jon: Excellent performance from Forest. Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson are demonstrating why they must both go to the World Cup. As for the handball, a terrible decision that could cost the club £5m based on where we finish in the table. Another VAR-trocity!
'What is a handball offence? I'm scratching my head' - Lawspublished at 11:18 BST 18 May
11:18 BST 18 May
If there is one thing in the modern game that is guaranteed to confuse it is the handball law.
And at Old Trafford on Sunday we were presented with the latest example of a decision which has left supporters scratching their heads.
The ball hit the arm of Bryan Mbeumo, who saw his shot blocked before it ran to Matheus Cunha to score Manchester United's second goal in their 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest.
United's celebrations were muted as Forest's players complained to referee Michael Salisbury. Everyone seemed to expect that the goal would be ruled out.
Former Forest defender Brian Laws questioned on BBC Radio Nottingham: "What is a handball offence? Quite clearly - both of his arms are out and it's touched his body and arm. That dropped the ball to his side and from which he took a shot.
"That means he gained an advantage from it and it's an offence.
"I'm scratching my head and wondering if it's because he didn't score and it landed somewhere else for someone else to score, but that initial part is handball without a doubt."
"When I looked at the image, I was completely convinced that they would cancel out the goal. In this moment, we don't know the rules and we need to go to school to learn again because they've changed the rules.
"I think we need to have a meeting with everybody to understand when it is a handball or not."
Watch Premier League highlights and analysispublished at 07:59 BST 18 May
07:59 BST 18 May
Pundits Dion Dublin and Mark Schwarzer join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Friday's and Sunday's Premier League fixtures.
Analysis: Anderson shows his classpublished at 15:48 BST 17 May
15:48 BST 17 May
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Elliot Anderson is Manchester United's number one midfield target to replace Casemiro this summer.
United know that Manchester City, among plenty of others, are also keen - and they are also unwilling to pay £120m for the England international.
However, as auditions go, this was a pretty good one.
Unlike another midfield option Carlos Baleba, who failed to make any impression when he played at Old Trafford for Brighton earlier this season, Anderson shone.
His covering play was efficient, but he also excelled in making the kind of driving runs out of midfield that Casemiro, for all his attributes, can no longer do. Plus his cross for Morato's equaliser was perfect.
Clearly, Nottingham Forest have a desire to drive the price up as high as possible, as they look at a rebuild after dicing too close to relegation for owner Evangelos Marinakis' liking.
While Anderson's exit appears certain, the future of Morgan Gibbs-White is also the subject of intense debate.
Gibbs-White seemed certain to join Tottenham last summer, but instead signed a new long-term deal to remain at the City Ground.
His importance to the side cannot be understated, and his absence from the second leg of the Europa League semi-final with Aston Villa was a significant factor in Forest's eventual defeat.
Wearing a face mask to protect the massive scarring on his face, Gibbs-White ghosted into space inside the penalty area midway through the first half and was only denied by Senne Lammens' feet.
When he did something similar in the second half, his first-time finish found the bottom corner.
So Forest will be reluctant to lose that game intelligence in the same summer as Anderson's industry.
Man Utd 3-2 Nottingham Forest: What Pereira and Gibbs-White saidpublished at 15:31 BST 17 May
15:31 BST 17 May
Media caption,
Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day following the defeat at Old Trafford: "A crazy game, with transitions and counter-attacks. We played the last few minutes with heart and ambition but we lost our balance and organisation, and in the end this is a dangerous team on the counter-attack. They break intentionally and stay with three or four players for counter-attack, and this is a moment we need to control but we didn't and we tried to score.
"The only thing that was a pity, in my opinion, is that the game was decided by a decision. I don't agree with it. I looked at the image and I stayed very calm, but in the end I think we need to have a meeting together to understand when it is a handball, when it is a block and when it is a block in the box.
"At the moment, we don't know what is possible or not - and a lot of the time we don't understand the decisions, but I must accept it."
On character of his players: "Even if I want to keep them organised, they want to score and they will try everything not in an organised way. But I'm proud of my players and the supporters. We keep going with our work to try to win the next game. This is a special group.
"They have character and quality. When they try everything to get points from each game, we are in a position that we can do this because we are not in relegation battle. We wanted to win the game, but in the end this result wasn't possible."
Morgan Gibbs-White has also been talking to Sky Sports: "It was promising. The first half wasn't good enough, we were too slow, but second half we came out fighting, we showed character and desire. We kept fighting and we didn't give up."
On the handball decision: "No matter what I say, it's not going to change the outcome. From the angle I was standing at, it looked like he caught the ball. Whether he scores or not, for me it was still a handball.
"I asked him [the referee] after and he said if [Bryan] Mbeumo scores, it is not a goal. But because [Matheus] Cunha scored, it is a goal - that didn't make sense to me. He allowed the action to carry on when it should have got blown. I'm proud of the boys for the second half, we need to keep building and carrying on."
On whether the handball rules should be looked at: "We need to have clear rules. There is a lot of controversy around it this season. It is not clear to anyone. I don't think anyone understands the rulings on it."
Did you know?
Nottingham Forest have lost nine of their past 11 Premier League away games against Manchester City and Manchester United, conceding two or more goals in each of those matches.
Morgan Gibbs-White's goal was the 1000th goal scored in the Premier League this season. Since the start of March, no player has more goal involvements in the competition than the 26-year-old (10).
'It is clear as day' - pundits weigh-in on Mbeumo handballpublished at 15:13 BST 17 May
15:13 BST 17 May
Media caption,
Various pundits have been discussing on-field referee Michael Salisbury's decision to award Manchester United's second goal against Nottingham Forest, despite an apparent handball by the Red Devils' Bryan Mbeumo in the build-up.
Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann told Final Score: "You can clearly see the ball comes off Mbeumo's arm prior to going to [Matheus] Cunha. For me, it is a penalisable handball.
"Mbeumo does control the ball and, while he is not the scorer himself, football's expectation is for a goal like that to be disallowed as opposed to being given.
"The law states that usually if it is the scorer who has accidentally or deliberately handled the ball before putting the ball in the back of the net, it will be disallowed.
"Football's expectation is that the handball outweighs any possible deflection off Mbeumo's hip.
"It is a good intervention from the VAR. I would've recommended a review myself, had I been the VAR. I do think that while it is commendable the referee sticks with their decision, which we don't see very often, this is only the fourth time it has happened. But I feel the correct decision is to disallow the goal for a handball.
"It is a decision that will split people. I can see both sides of the argument but we've had so many talks recently about needing to go back to deliberate handball. If it's unequivocally a handball, then we disallow. If the handball is accidental or if the arm is in an unnatural position, and we have all these clauses in the law, then it gets a bit complicated - so I would advocate for a return to just deliberate handball."
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards said on Sky Sports: "It is a handball. It is as simple as that. The referee has gone to the screen and made a decision but, if you look at it, it is clear as day."
Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane added: "We are confused here, especially because the referee was asked to go to the screen and then still gave it.
"All of us ex-footballers will all be saying the same thing - handball. I don't think anyone would've complained about it. We were all scratching our heads when it was allowed."
Image source, Getty Images
