Manchester United lost at Old Trafford for the first time since the departure of Erik ten Hag, with Nottingham Forest defeating them 3-2.
The visitors took the lead early through Nikola Milenković in the second minute, but Rasmus Højlund pulled United level before halftime.
Forest started just as quickly in the second half, retaking the lead thanks to Morgan Gibbs-White’s strike from distance in the 47th minute before Chris Wood made it three seven minutes later.
Bruno Fernandes got the hosts back into the game just past the hour mark, but it was ultimately little more than a consolation, as Ruben Amorim tasted defeat for the first time as United boss.
As it happened
March 21st, 2010. Benfica and Porto have made it to the final of the Portuguese League Cup, the latter fielding their second-choice goalkeeper Nuno Espirito Santo. 10 minutes into the game, Benfica take the lead: a low shot is spilled into the back of the net. The man who wheeled away in celebration? Ruben Amorim.
Today, well over 14 years later, the pair met in the dugouts of a Premier League match. Doesn’t time fly?
In this most recent clash, there was an even earlier goal. Diogo Dalot’s poor touch trickled out for a corner, and Elliot Anderson whipped in a teasing outswinger in the direction of Nottingham Forest’s resident big man Milenković. Up he leapt, his marker Lisandro Martínez given no chance, before powering home a header past a static André Onana. 91 seconds was all they needed to take the lead.
Embed from Getty ImagesSafe to say, Espirito Santo’s side flew out the blocks, but this is nothing new for them; they’ve scored the opening goal of the game 12 times in the Premier League this season, more than any other side.
The flip side of that double-edged sword is that it gave the hosts more than enough time to take control of the game, and they certainly did that – although they couldn’t create huge chances immediately.
Their first shot came from Dalot on the 10-minute mark, curling wide from distance. Then, eight minutes later, they’d forge a much more fruitful opportunity.
Manuel Ugarte had the ball just outside the box, four Forest defenders between him and the goal. Not one of them had spotted the run of Alejandro Garnacho, though, allowing him to be played in behind for a golden chance to draw United level. His shot was saved by Mats Sels, but only into the path of Højlund to tap home his third goal in as many games.
Embed from Getty ImagesNeither side would control the rest of the half, and both could’ve scored; Jota Silva utilised every last one of his neck muscles to force a header onto the crossbar just before the half-hour mark, and Bruno Fernandes would do the same from a free kick fifteen minutes later.
It could’ve gone either way in the second half, but unfortunately for Amorim and co., it wasn’t to be for them.
In a start to the second half which eerily mirrored the first, Forest were back in front within two minutes. This time it was Morgan Gibbs-White to score and Onana very much at fault. His shot from outside the area was hit hard and very central. It swerved a tad in the air, but it perhaps didn’t justify the goalkeeper’s decision to commit to diving to his right, allowing the ball to fly straight past his left.
The visitors were in front – and it was just about to get better.
54 minutes in, two became three, and once more it was thoroughly avoidable. Gibbs-White this time turned provider, sending a cross to the back post where Chris Wood was waiting. He looped a header goalwards, Onana’s attempt to intervene scuppered by Matthijs de Ligt standing in his way. It bounced off the post and into the net, where Martínez was stood waiting and somehow unable to clear.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt was an unmitigated disaster of a goal from a United point of view, but Wood and Nottingham Forest couldn’t care one bit; they were two up at Old Trafford.
They wouldn’t be for long, though. Fernandes, who was desperately unlucky not to have scored in the first half, made his mark on the hour.
He started the move, spraying a terrific volley out wide for Amad Diallo to chase, before continuing his run. The Ivorian cut back, laid the ball off and his captain did the rest, firing a strike into the far corner from the edge of the area. Sels had no chance, and the game was on once more.
United camped around the Forest box for the rest of the game, the visitors having to soak up all kinds of pressure. That said, they rarely looked like scoring again. Dalot tried twice, first heading into the arms of Sels and then blasting a strike comically over the bar.
They saved their most potent attacks until right at the end, with Marcus Rashford’s volley deflected out for a corner, the result of which being an acrobatic strike volleyed over the bar courtesy of Martínez. But it was too little, too late.
After their disappointment at the Etihad Stadium midweek, this was the bounce-back Forest had dreamt of. The result leaves them fifth in the league, knocking on the door of Champions League football in this most unpredictable of starts to the season.
United still look transitionary, though. It’s far too early in Amorim’s tenure to make any kind of judgement, but they were second best for too much of this game. The result of their next league match, the Manchester derby, could be anyone’s guess.
For now, though, it’s a case of revenge; 14 years ago, Amorim’s goal helped defeat Espirito Santo’s Porto. In 2024, the Forest boss has had the last laugh.
The lineups
MUN: Onana; Martínez, De Ligt, Yoro; Dalot, Ugarte, Mainoo, Diallo; Garnacho, Fernandes; Højlund
NFO: Sels; Williams, Murillo, Milenković, Aina; Yates, Anderson; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Jota; Wood
FEATURED IMAGE: Tom McAtee