Nottingham Forest were knocked out of the FA Cup last night, after conceding a late Casemiro goal against Erik ten Hag's Manchester United.
Nuno Espírito Santo's side looked threatening for large parts of the encounter, but couldn't find the breakthrough with the Reds paying the ultimate price for their missed opportunities.
Taiwo Awoniyi and Divock Origi both had good chances to give Forest the lead, with neither player able to direct their efforts past United shot-stopper Andre Onana.
Despite the defeat, the Reds played very well – with the club more than able to survive should they match the display they produced last night. One player impressed throughout for Nuno's side, with the player producing one of his best performances under the former Wolves head coach.
Danilo's stats against Manchester United
Since Nuno's arrival on December 20th, Brazilian midfielder Danilo has started in 11 of the 14 games – with the former Palmerias man starting to nail down his position as a starter.
Danilo, who joined the Reds for £20m during the January transfer window in 2023, has had some up-and-down performances this campaign, but last night was certainly one of his best to date.
During his 89 minutes on the pitch last night, he completed 29 passes – at a completion rate of 88%, the second-highest of anyone for the Reds who played over 45 minutes.
Of his 29 passes, eight of them were into the final third, as Forest looked to build through the thirds quicker than normal and punish Ten Hag's side.
Minutes played
89
Touches
44
Accurate passes
29/33 (88%)
Chances created
1
Passes into final 3rd
8
Duels won
3
Defensive actions
5
It wasn't just in possession where Danilo excelled, but also without, with the midfielder winning two tackles as he partnered Ryan Yates at the base, allowing others ahead of him to create problems for the United backline.
The Brazilian also made one interception and won three duels as he played a key role in regaining possession before transitioning play forward at pace.
Danilo's starting place to lose
After his recent performances, Danilo has proved that he is more than capable of nailing down a consistent starting position for the rest of the campaign.
Fellow Reds midfielder Nicolas Dominguez has often joined the Brazilian in the two-man midfield. However, he was replaced with Yates for last night's game, with the side missing the Argentinian's constant pressure.
Ibrahim Sangare hasn't hit the ground running since his big-money arrival from PSV during the summer, with the Ivorian midfielder having injury problems before joining up with the national team ahead of the African Cup of Nations – where he took home the trophy during Ivory Coast's triumph.
Sangare's best performance under Nuno came in the 3-1 win over Newcastle United at St James' Park on Boxing Day, with the midfielder winning three tackles and three duels as the club picked up a rare away victory but hasn't shown a huge amount beyond that.
However, because of his absence since the new year, it's given Danilo the perfect opportunity to stake his place as a starting player under Nuno, with his display against United last night a real improvement from what he's produced under Nuno in previous weeks.