2
Manchester United faced a huge dose of reality as they lost their second Premier League game in a week to Nottingham Forest 2-3.
Before kick-off, a wet and windy Old Trafford paid tribute to long time club receptionist Kath Phipps, who died earlier in the week.
Sadly for United they got off to the worst possible start as they conceded after only two minutes from a corner kick as Nikola Milenković smashed home a powerful header, beating both Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez to the ball.
Ruben Amorim will have been raging after conceding two goals from a corner kick against Arsenal during the week and his team showed they had learnt nothing from the experience as they were all at sea once again.
United fans were on the edge of their seat just one minute later as a quick breakaway resulted in Alejandro Garnacho crossing a lovely ball into the box that just missed the head of the onrushing Rasmus Hojlund, who surprisingly made little attempt to jump to reach the ball.
The Red Devils continued to push for an equaliser and in the 10th minute of play Diogo Dalot unleashed a long distance effort that was never really threatening the Forest goal.
A minute later, good work from Amad Diallo down the right resulted in him teeing up Bruno Fernandes who fired a cross into the box that drifted just wide of the post.
United turned up the pressure and after Kobbie Mainoo’s skill won a free kick in a dangerous area, Fernandes laid off Amad whose shot was blocked as it rifled towards goal. Lisandro Martinez tried to divert the rebound goalwards but it was tipped over by Matz Sels.
The home side’s pressure finally paid off when United played beautifully through the Forest midfield and Manuel Ugarte slipped in a lovely ball to Alejandro Garnacho, whose shot was blocked by the keeper. But a grateful Rasmus Hojlund was waiting to slot in an easy finish to give him his fifth goal of the season and draw United level in the process.
In the 27th minute of play, United’s weaknesses at set plays were exposed again as Ryan Yates won a header at the back post and Jota Silva rose highest to head the ball against the crossbar, in a major let off for the home side.
On the 32nd minute mark, Forest were in again as a shot from Jota was well blocked by De Ligt and went out for a corner. The visitors smelled blood and almost added their second when United let the ball bounce across the area and Murillo luckily fired wide.
United answered with a rapid counter attack which resulted in Garnacho firing directly at the keeper.
On the 40th minute mark, Fernandes thought he had got United in front from a wonderfully struck free kick but it smacked off the crossbar to keep the visitors level.
The rest of the half petered out with both sides having some work to do to get the win they both craved.
United’s second half got off to as poor a start as the first when Bruno Fernandes unnecessarily gave the ball away in his own half and Morgan Gibbs-White collected the ball and unleashed a shot from outside the box that Andre Onana inexplicably let fly past him. The ball was swerving but it ended up flying into the middle of the goal, not one the Cameroonian will wish to see again.
United’s mood darkened substantially when Chris Wood headed home Forest’s third unmarked with Onana in no-man’s land once again. Martinez and De Ligt both ended up on the line but they just got in each other’s way as the ball crept into the net, with the help of the post.
As things looked totally glum for the home side, great work by Amad Diallo down the right wing resulted in him laying the ball off for Bruno Fernandes who fired home a fine strike to give his side some hope of a recovery.
With the wind behind them, United surged forward in search of an equaliser but Amad dragged his shot wide when he really would have expected to have done better after 63 minutes.
United enjoyed sustained periods of possession thereafter with little threat on the opposition goal as the minutes ticked by at Old Trafford.
The home side struggled to create anything of note for long periods and Diogo Dalot’s header was easily saved by the Forest keeper on 83 minutes.
As the 90th minute ticked over, Dalot had a wild effort from range that summed up a lot of United players’ evenings at a soaked Old Trafford.
Rashford and Martinez both almost brought the house down with stunning volleys in the 94th minute but both went agonisingly wide from a United perspective.
The defeat will be a tough one for Ruben Amorim to swallow but he knows the size of the task ahead of him and with little time on the training pitch, it feels there could be more pain for United fans to suffer in a tough looking December.
Starting XI: Onana, Dalot, Yoro, De Ligt, Martinez, Amad, Ugarte, Mainoo, Fernandes, Garnacho, Hojlund
Subs: Rashford, Mazraoui, Maguire, Zirkzee, Mount
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