Nottingham Forest Secure Victory Against Manchester United as Elanga Frights His Old Club

Nottingham Forest achieved a remarkable feat by securing their first-ever Premier League double over Manchester United, clinching a 1-0 victory at the City Ground. This result means that Ruben Amorim’s side is still striving for their first pair of consecutive league wins this season.

Bruno Fernandes had the initial chance of the match when his long-range strike was deflected to safety by Matz Sels. However, it was Forest that struck first, capitalising on a corner from United to launch a lightning-fast counterattack led by Anthony Elanga.

The former Red Devils winger seized the stray ball from Ryan Yates’ headed clearance and embarked on an impressive solo run down the pitch, clinically finishing with a powerful left-foot shot past Andre Onana.

This marked the 23rd occasion United had conceded the first goal in all competitions this season, placing them second only to Leicester (25) among Premier League teams.

Ruben Amorim’s charges responded strongly, with Casemiro heading wide from a corner delivered by Fernandes. The Portuguese forward was creating problems for the Forest defence with his precise corner kicks and set up compatriot Diogo Dalot, whose header hit the crossbar.

Besides Elanga’s magnificent opener, the Tricky Trees struggled to threaten further up the pitch, suffering a setback when Ola Aina had to leave the field due to injury before the break.

As the game resumed, it maintained a frantic pace when Morgan Gibbs-White fired an attempt over the goal after Alejandro Garnacho lost control in his half.

Garnacho then tried his luck at the opposite end, sending a speculative shot just wide, before having another promising effort blocked by Yates.

United displayed some impressive football but lacked the decisive finishing touch needed to penetrate what appeared to be an unyielding Forest defence, with Sels remaining largely untroubled in goal.

Sels was called into action to make a straightforward save from Patrick Dorgu’s header, with Fernandes orchestrating yet another opportunity for the visitors.

Mason Mount made his return to the squad for the first time since mid-December, nearly making an immediate impact when his curling shot went just wide of the post.

Harry Maguire, another substitute, headed wide from a cross by Dorgu and later saw a late attempt cleared off the line by Murillo, as Forest held on for a hard-fought victory that showcased an impressive campaign, extending their unbeaten home league record to nine matches and solidifying their hold on third place.

Meanwhile, Manchester United faced consecutive away league defeats to Forest for the first time since 1990, leaving them languishing in 13th position.