Nottingham Forest took another step away from the Premier League relegation zone with a hard-fought draw against Aston Villa at the City Ground.
Vitor Pereira’s side now sit three points clear of the bottom three, aided by Tottenham’s defeat elsewhere, after Neco Williams’ strike cancelled out an earlier own goal from Murillo.
Villa made the brighter start despite losing goalkeeper Emi Martinez in the warm-up, with Marco Bizot stepping in.
The visitors took the lead when Murillo inadvertently turned Morgan Rogers’ cross into his own net.
Rogers came close to doubling Villa’s advantage, striking the crossbar and later firing over, but Forest responded before the break.
Williams levelled with a powerful low finish from the edge of the box to bring the hosts back into the contest.
The second half saw chances at both ends.
Bizot made a key save after Matty Cash’s deflected effort, while Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels produced an excellent stop to deny John McGinn.
Villa had opportunities to win it late on, but Rogers missed a golden chance from close range, while Ollie Watkins also failed to convert as the visitors were left frustrated.
Forest are now unbeaten in five matches in all competitions, with momentum building at a crucial stage of the season.
With a key fixture against Burnley to come, their survival hopes remain firmly in their own hands.
Pereira’s decision to rotate his squad during the week also paid off, and the return of striker Chris Wood after a long injury lay-off adds further encouragement.
For Aston Villa, the draw keeps them level on points with third-placed Manchester United, but it was an opportunity missed.
Morgan Rogers, one of Villa’s standout performers this season, showed flashes of quality but lacked composure in front of goal.
With growing interest in the 23-year-old, consistency remains the final piece needed to elevate him to the next level.
While Villa remain in the hunt for Champions League qualification, this result leaves them with work still to do in the closing weeks of the campaign.
