Man Utd 3 Nottm Forest 2
Erik ten Hag’s side welcomed Nottingham Forest to Old Trafford, with the Red Devils looking to bounce back from their recent defeat at the hands of Tottenham. Mason Mount has failed to impress since his big money move to United and fans are starting to question ten Hag’s midfield having underwhelmed in both their opening fixtures.
Anthony Martial, the man who constantly looks like he has spotted somebody who owes him money out in the club he is in, led the line for Man Utd. While people were talking about the Red Devils challenging Man City before the season started, rest assured, if Martial is getting in your side in attack there will be no title challenges.
Matt Turner spilled an early shot behind from Antony, as the ball came in from the resulting corner, Forest counter attacked and Awoniyi left Marcus Rashford for dead as he bounded towards the goal from the halfway line.
Rashford tried to keep up with him, but the Nottingham Forest striker slotted it passed Onana to become the first player to score in seven consecutive league games for the club. The forward is in a run of hot form for Steve Cooper’s side, having scored 9 goals in their last 7 Premier League games.
Credit: @NFFC
Gibbs-White then whipped in a free kick from a wide position, which found the head of Boly and nestled into the bottom corner. United were two-nil down after only four minutes, for the first time in Premier League history at Old Trafford.
Fernandes had a shot from the edge of the box, as they tried to find a way back into the game on a greasy pitch as the predictable Manchester rain fell. Turner failed to deal with the effort and Rashford was able to cross into the box and it was turned in at the near post by Eriksen to give United a glimmer of hope.
Bruno Fernandes then swung in a dangerous corner which was missed at the near post by both Aurier and Turner. Casemiro found himself stood two yards out with an open goal and somehow headed the ball wide. An incredible miss by the Brazilian.
Man Utd kept the pressure on the visitors, looking for an equaliser. One thing you can say about these two sides, defensively they are looking like the Polish border just before Germany invoked its blitzkrieg in 1939.
Rashford clipped a ball into the box towards Fernandes, who headed it square to Casemiro, who took one touch to control it before knocking it into the Forest goal. With only seven minutes of the second half gone, the scores were level.
Antony then checked onto his left foot on the edge of the box and hit a curling shot which looked destined for the far corner before Matt Turner tipped it around the post at full-stretch. The ball was then played forward towards Fernandes who was brought to ground by Worrall just on the edge of the box. The Forest captain was subsequently shown a red card, adjudged to have been the last man between the Portuguese midfielder and the visitors' goal.
Credit: @ManUtd
Fernandes’ free kick was a shambles as he tried to play a cheeky pass to the side of the wall but Dalot was not expecting it and the ball ran harmlessly out of play for a goal kick to the visitors. The two Man Utd players were most definitely not on the same wavelength, it is debatable whether they were even on the same planet.
Rashford then picked the ball up on the left and looked to run towards the box, sidestepping Danilo, before the Forest player seemingly brought him to ground. The referee did not hesitate and pointed to the penalty spot, although replays showed any contact was minimal if at all.
Bruno Fernandes stepped up and slotted the ball into the bottom corner to complete the Man Utd comeback with fourteen minutes of the game remaining. Steve Cooper looked baffled on the touchline as to how his afternoon had suddenly gone so pear-shaped.
The visitors looked to try and find an equaliser while Erik ten Hag’s side tried to hold onto the three points. Wood knocked the ball down to Boly, who hit it on the half-volley, forcing Onana into a fingertip save to turn it around the post.
Man Utd have now gone 31 games without defeat at Old Trafford, while the record is impressive, many neutral fans will wonder just how that has happened. That aside, it is two home wins at home this season for the Red Devils, on another day they could have lost both of these games.
These wins were brought to you by the PGMOL, VAR and the acrobatics of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford. After the game 7,000 Man Utd fans had a sit in protest about the Glazer family’s ownership of the club. Rumours are Erik ten Hag was one of them and was seen holding a banner saying ‘give me another £405m to spend!’.
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