Premier League: United fight back to beat Forest
Manchester United 3 - 2 Nottingham Forest
Manchester United managed a remarkable comeback after being two goals behind to secure an exciting victory against 10-man Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.
In a first for Premier League history, United found themselves trailing by two goals within the initial four minutes of the game due to a terrible start. Taiwo Awoniyi and Willy Boly scored for Nottingham Forest during this challenging period.
Christian Eriksen narrowed the gap by successfully tapping in Marcus Rashford's well-placed low cross. Casemiro then missed a clear opportunity to score when he headed wide of an open net before halftime.
However, he later made amends by equalizing for United. He managed to bundle the ball into the net from Bruno Fernandes' headed pass across the goal, following an impressive assist from Rashford.
Before the match, United's manager Ten Hag emphasized Fernandes' exceptional leadership qualities as captain. Fernandes lived up to these expectations, leading by example as he spearheaded the host team's pursuit of a winning goal.
Forest's captain, Joe Worrall, received a red card for fouling Fernandes at the edge of the penalty area midway through the second half. Despite United's inability to capitalize on the ensuing free-kick, Fernandes remained composed and drove in the winning goal with 14 minutes remaining after Rashford was tripped by Danilo.
There are still problems for United
✅ Bruno Fernandes: "We knew that by scoring in the first half, the fans would be behind us. When we scored, it boosted everyone. They know that this team is capable of coming back. This club is known for that . It's happened so many times." #MUFC pic.twitter.com/SaewTXKCLM
— UtdPlug (@UtdPlug) August 26, 2023
This victory might not entirely calm worries about their team's depth. Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, and newcomer striker Rasmus Hojlund were all out due to injuries, and United looked all over the place in the opening moments of the match.
With Anthony Martial and substitute Jadon Sancho taking on the striker's role, Marcus Rashford shifted to a wider position. Thankfully, Rashford posed a greater threat than against Spurs and was one of few players started the game with determination.
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On the right, Antony also kept the Forest defenders on their toes, although his final moves often left something to be desired.
Despite this, United showed real resilience and determination to secure a comeback victory, the kind of win that this stadium has witnessed so many times over the years.
Liam, a Manchester United Season Ticket holder, said: "It was a terrible 10 minutes at the start of the match. However, I thought it was very good after that. Fernandes was world class."
A lot of positives for Forest
🪄 pic.twitter.com/c3zMojY9tf
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) August 27, 2023
Across the Premier League, there were quite a few raised eyebrows 12 months ago when Forest ended up paying a lot of money to Wolves for Morgan Gibbs-White.
However, his performances over the last six months have started to suggest that the £25 million is a bargain. He was one of the key figures in Forest's successful battle against relegation. He then inspired England's Under-21 side to their first European Championship triumph since 1984.
The senior England boss Gareth Southgate was watching on at Old Trafford, and he must have been impressed with the 23-year-old's latest performance.
