Nottingham Forest were beaten by Newcastle at the City Ground to end a four-game unbeaten streak.
Nuno Espirito Santo stuck with the same side that had thrashed West Ham on home soil eight days earlier.
Newcastle provided a far sterner test than the hapless Hammers though and ran out comfortable winners in the end.
Espirito Santo hailed Murillo for his maiden Forest goal but that really was as good as it got for the Reds.
Goals from Alexander Isak, Joelinton and Harvey Barnes compounded Forest to a second defeat of the campaign.
Forest now have two weeks to rest and prepare to go again when they visit Arsenal next time out in the Premier League.
This contest was an entertaining one and from a Forest perspective, it did highlight that work in progress is still very much evident.
What Nuno Espirito Santo did when Newcastle went in front against Forest
It was such a disappointment that after Newcastle had scored nine minutes into the second half, Forest couldn’t get back into the game.
A sliding doors moment came at one-nil when Nicolas Dominguez raced clear but he produced a good save from Nick Pope.
Nick Mashiter from the BBC spotted something that happened after Joelinton had curled home a stunning second goal for Newcastle.
He claimed that the Newcastle bench were in raptures, whilst Espirito Santo simply tapped the dugout twice in disgust.
He was clearly unhappy with the way his team had folded and it certainly gives him food for thought next time out.
Forest can still take heart from first 11 games of 2024/25
Had any fan been offered fifth with 19 points after 11 games the unanimous verdict would have been one of joy.
It represents clear progress on the pitch and a sign that things are settling after a couple of years of chaos.
Espirito Santo is calm, and composed and knows what he is doing as a manager.
The challenge for Forest is to ultimately avoid getting embroiled in a relegation scrap this season and the team are on course for that.
December represents a very tough month but with games coming thick and fast, there isn’t much time to dwell on things for the Reds.
Espirito Santo showed some angst towards his team after Newcastle went in front yesterday.
However, there is nothing wrong with that and merely shows that he’s a perfectionist desperate to do well for the club.
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