Former Manchester United player Anthony Elanga scored an early goal, leading Nottingham Forest to a 1-0 victory over his old team and boosting Forest`s hopes for European competition.
Before the game, Manchester United`s manager Ruben Amorim had mentioned the success of former Old Trafford players Marcus Rashford and Antony while on loan.
However, it was another former Manchester United winger who scored the only goal early in the match, despite the visitors dominating in almost every aspect except scoring.
According to TNT Sports, Elanga sprinted 85 meters in just nine seconds before scoring past Andre Onana in the fifth minute.
Home fans humorously chanted, “Anthony Elanga, he left because you’re bad,” towards Manchester United.
But Manchester United was not bad. They performed better for most of the game, creating numerous opportunities and keeping the Forest fans anxious until the final whistle.
Diogo Dalot`s shot hit the crossbar in the first half, and Alejandro Garnacho and Mason Mount both came close to scoring in the second half.
Elanga’s early goal was enough for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team to win, achieving their first league double against United since the 1991-92 season under Brian Clough.
Now, Nottingham Forest needs only a few more victories to ensure they can compete for the Champions League trophy, which Brian Clough won twice.
Meanwhile, Manchester United is facing a potentially dismal season, possibly their worst league finish since being relegated 31 years prior.
As the match began, Forest fans celebrated their recent penalty shootout victory over Brighton, which secured their place in the FA Cup semi-final, by singing “Que Sera”.
This match was crucial for securing a chance to play in Europe, ideally in the top-tier competition that Nottingham Forest won twice in the past.
They made a perfect start by scoring an early goal within the first five minutes.
Forest`s goalkeeper Matz Sels made a somewhat clumsy save from Bruno Fernandes` 20-yard shot from outside the box.
However, Forest’s counter-attack from the resulting corner was incredibly efficient.
Despite having more players back to defend after their own corner, Manchester United found themselves in a two-on-two situation against Forest attackers. Elanga’s exceptional speed and Morgan Gibbs-White’s supporting run made the difference.
Gibbs-White ran alongside Elanga, creating a distraction, but Elanga expertly used this to his advantage and scored past Onana, leaving defenders Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu unable to intervene.
Interestingly, it was the 23rd time Nottingham Forest had scored first in a Premier League game this season, and also the 23rd time Manchester United had conceded the first goal.
Despite conceding early, Manchester United quickly started creating chances, mostly from long-range shots and corners.
From the perspective of Forest supporters, Manchester United also seemed to be playing against the referee, Jarred Gillett, who they felt was not giving their team enough free kicks.
Alejandro Garnacho was fortunate to avoid a yellow card for a harsh foul on Ryan Yates.
Diogo Dalot’s powerful header from another corner struck the crossbar, and goalkeeper Sels was relieved when the referee called a foul during the ensuing scramble in the penalty area.
