Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest Review
Nottingham Forest moved into the top five of the Premier League table after securing their first away win against Manchester United since December 1994, triumphing 3-2 and handing Ruben Amorim’s team their second consecutive defeat. After conceding two goals from corners against Arsenal on Wednesday, it was evident that United had not learned from their mistakes, as they fell behind to Forest within two minutes for the second straight home match in this matchup. Elliot Anderson’s cross was headed in by the relatively unmarked Nikola Milenković.
The home team was undeterred, controlling the game and equalizing in the 18th minute. A smooth transition from defense to attack saw Manuel Ugarte set up Alejandro Garnacho, whose shot was only deflected by Matz Sels into the path of Rasmus Højlund, who scored his third goal in as many games. The Red Devils found it challenging to build on their equalizer due to their struggles with defending set-pieces. Jota Silva hit the bar with a header from a deep free-kick, and Murillo missed a chance from a corner as the visitors gained momentum. However, Nuno Espírito Santo’s team also had a moment of luck when Bruno Fernandes’ powerful free-kick struck the crossbar, leaving the score level at halftime.
As the match resumed, Forest seized the opportunity, scoring twice in just nine minutes due to a defensive breakdown from the home side. First, Morgan Gibbs-White’s low, swerving shot caught André Onana off guard, resulting in a goal that went straight into the center of the net. The visitors’ third goal was even more unusual, as Onana, Lisandro Martínez, and Matthijs de Ligt failed to clear Chris Wood’s looping header, which found the far corner, making Wood Forest’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League.
Bruno Fernandes managed to score a powerful shot into the far corner, narrowing United’s deficit with half an hour remaining. However, a series of substitutions and stoppages disrupted the flow of the game, allowing Forest to diminish the impact of United’s attacks, which were quite rare.
A late, powerful volley from Amad Diallo was blocked by Morato, as the visitors achieved only their second win in 15 encounters, marking the first season they have won league matches at both Anfield and Old Trafford. Consequently, United’s seven-match unbeaten streak at home has come to an end, leaving Amorim’s team in the lower half of the table with much work ahead.
