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Morgan Gibbs-White scored the winning goal for Nottingham Forest in their first victory against Manchester United since 1994. This marked the end of a tumultuous year for Erik ten Hag’s team.
The team known as the Red Devils had emerged victorious in their previous 11 matches against the opposing team in all types of competitions. However, the new manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, would achieve a remarkable second victory in a span of only five days.
Gibbs-White’s super late strike from the edge of the box wrapped up a memorable 2-1 triumph after Marcus Rashford had capitalised on a terrible Matt Turner pass to cancel out Nicolas Dominguez’s opener.
United suffered their 14th loss of the season across all competitions, making for a dismal conclusion to the year for a team that lacked the same energy and success as the one that rallied to defeat Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
Unfortunately, Rasmus Hojlund, who was the key player in the match, was unable to participate due to illness. As a result, Ten Hag’s team did not play up to their usual standard at the City Ground. The first half of the game was uneventful, but the second half was full of excitement.
Rodriguez scored for Forest in the 64th minute, but Turner’s poor pass was intercepted and Rashford scored the equalizer in the 78th minute.
However, the goalkeeper redeemed himself four minutes afterwards by stopping Christian Eriksen’s shot before the home team quickly counterattacked and Gibbs-White scored, putting the hosts back in the lead.
In the final moments of the game, Turner remained steadfast, securing a victory for Forest over United on their home turf for the first time in nearly three decades.
INEOS sports director Sir Dave Brailsford, along with Sir Alex Ferguson, was present at the Trent River to witness Kobbie Mainoo clear an early attempt by Dominguez.
After scoring three goals in the game against Newcastle on December 26th, Chris Wood was feeling very confident. He attempted a shot, but it missed its mark. United was able to avoid conceding a goal in the 11th minute, giving them a moment of relief.
Former Manchester United player Anthony Elanga delivered a cross from the left side, causing Raphael Varane to awkwardly try to intercept it. Unfortunately, his attempt only resulted in the ball going over Andre Onana and into the goal.
The fans of Forest shouted “you are no longer famous” as their team continued to dominate, thanks in large part to United’s mistakes and unsuccessful passes.
The opposing team effectively defended against Ten Hag’s players in the attacking zones, similar to when Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s shot was blocked and Ryan Yates missed a shot at the opposite end.
The lackluster first half continued until halftime, at which point Mainoo was substituted with Scott McTominay.
In the 54th minute, Ten Hag replaced Antony to the sound of Forest chants saying “what a waste of money.” This allowed for Amad Diallo to make his first appearance for United in two years.
One minute later, United almost took the lead with an unexpected shot from Diogo Dalot. The full-back’s quick attempt from far away hit the post on the right side.
However, it was evident that Forest came out stronger in the second half and the atmosphere at the City Ground was electric in the 64th minute.
Elanga passed the ball to right-back Gonzalo Montiel, who made a skilled touch and then passed it back for his compatriot Dominguez to smoothly kick the ball into the bottom corner with his right foot.
The amazing kick ignited a chorus of “you’ll be fired tomorrow” directed towards Ten Hag.
Alejandro Garnacho attempted a flashy move that resulted in the ball hitting the ground and landing on the top of the goal, as United tried to tie the game. Turner was grateful that he did not accidentally give them the opportunity to score.
The goalie for Forest made a mistake with his kick, sending the ball high into the air before it returned to him. However, he was not able to avoid embarrassment for long. Turner intercepted a lazy pass from the back and passed it to Garnacho, who then set up Rashford to score the equalizing goal in the 78th minute. The Forest supporters were furious after the goalkeeper’s repeated blunders and there were whispers of dissatisfaction when he next had possession of the ball.
However, Turner was relieved when Eriksen was stopped, which triggered a break for Forest. Elanga passed to Gibbs-White, who curled a shot into the bottom corner, earning him the title of man of the match.
The crowd at the stadium cheered loudly, just like they did during the 10 minutes of extra time when Turner made an amazing save on a deflected Fernandes shot.
Amad was previously rejected before the game concluded and players fell to the ground.
Source: independent.co.uk
