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Nottingham Forest logo
Premier League | Gameweek 20
Dec 30, 2023 at 5.30pm UK
The City Ground
Manchester United logo

Nott'm Forest
2 - 1
Man Utd

Dominguez (64'), Gibbs-White (82')
Gibbs-White (56'), Mangala (88')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Rashford (78')
Dalot (58'), Varane (59'), Garnacho (85'), Eriksen (90+9')

Marcus Rashford goal in vain as Manchester United lose to Nottingham Forest

Rashford goal in vain as Man United lose to Nottingham Forest
© Reuters
Nuno Espirito Santo claims a memorable first win as Nottingham Forest head coach in a merited 2-1 victory over Manchester United at the City Ground.

Nuno Espirito Santo claimed a memorable first home win as Nottingham Forest head coach in a merited 2-1 victory over Manchester United at the City Ground.

In a game of three crisp first-time goals, Marcus Rashford - with the help of a Matt Turner howler - had cancelled out a Nicolas Dominguez strike, but Morgan Gibbs-White quickly restored the Tricky Trees' slender advantage to make it back-to-back wins for Santo.

With Rasmus Hojlund denied the chance to build on his maiden Premier League goal due to illness, Rashford led the line for a Man United attack reinforced by Antony, while Dominguez and Ryan Yates were reintroduced into the hosts' XI.

Santo's men were knocking the ball around with purpose early doors and almost benefitted from a defensive howler in the 12th minute, as Raphael Varane made a mess of a clearance after a communication error with Andre Onana, but the Frenchman breathed a sigh of relief as the ball rolled wide.

Not until the 32nd minute did a toothless Manchester United finally manage a shot on goal, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka's deflected strike presented Turner with one of the easiest saves he will ever have to make.

The right-back's tame effort was the visitors' only shot of a forgettable first half, in which Forest also had six attempts but failed to find the target with any of them, and Erik ten Hag opted for a half-time alteration in the hope of finding an attacking spark, swapping Kobbie Mainoo out for Scott McTominay.

That spark did belatedly arrive in the 55th minute, albeit from two unlikely sources, as Wan-Bissaka pulled the ball back for fellow full-back Diogo Dalot, who arrived centrally to have a pop at goal, and the Portuguese's first-time strike from 20 yards smacked the post.

The Red Devils quickly revered to old ways, though, and Forest's positive approach was eventually rewarded in the 64th minute, as ex-Man United winger Anthony Elanga slipped in Gonzalo Montiel in the right-hand side of the area, and the World Cup winner produced an exquisite turn before squaring for Dominguez to calmly pick out the far corner with a first-time finish.

Manchester United's Scott McTominay and Raphael Varane react after Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White scores their second goal  on December 30, 2023© Reuters

Ten Hag's lacklustre troupe almost responded immediately in the 67th minute, as Bruno Fernandes's deep corner was met by Alejandro Garnacho on the volley, but the Argentine's speculative attempt bounced into the ground and onto the roof of the net.

Forest were doing a good job of marshalling Man United's attackers, but goalkeeper Turner gave the home faithful a few heart-in-mouth moments with some horrendous play out from the back, and one such misplaced pass saw him become the architect of his side's downfall in the 78th minute.

The ex-Arsenal man tried to pick out Danilo, but his pass was intercepted by a sliding Garnacho, who strode forward into the right-hand side of the penalty area and picked out Rashford, who left Turner rooted to the spot with a composed side-footed finish into the bottom corner.

However, the American redeemed himself and saw his blushes spared during a chaotic 82nd minute, as he pushed away a fierce Christian Eriksen drive and saw his side immediately launch forward on the counter-attack, which ended with Elanga laying off Gibbs-White inside the D, and the Englishman curled home a sumptuous first-time strike past a fully-stretched Onana.

Praying for a hefty chunk of added time, the Man United contingent were given a sliver of hope when 10 minutes went up on the fourth official's board, the sixth of which saw a Fernandes volley take a wicked deflection off Murillo before Turner showed brilliant reactions to tip it over.

Amad Diallo was the next to make Turner work in the eighth additional minute, but his near-post strike was meat and drink for the USA international, who then witnessed one final Eriksen attempt trickle wide before Forest's first league win over Man United since 1994 was sealed.

The hosts' second successive top-flight win has propelled them up to 15th in the standings, five points clear of the relegation zone, while the Red Devils remain seventh, nine points below the Champions League places having played an extra game.

Man United's opening game of 2024 does not take place until January 8, when Ten Hag's side travel to Wigan Athletic in the third round of the FA Cup, while Forest host Blackpool in the same round of the tournament one day beforehand.

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How you voted: Nott'm Forest vs Man Utd

Nottingham Forest
20.2%
Draw
16.7%
Manchester United
63.1%
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City97202091123
2Liverpool97111751222
3Arsenal95311710718
4Aston Villa95311611518
5Chelsea95221911817
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton94411612416
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest9441117416
8Tottenham HotspurSpurs94141810813
9Brentford94141818013
10Fulham93331212012
11Bournemouth93331111012
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle9333910-112
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham93241316-311
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd9324811-311
15Leicester CityLeicester92341317-49
16Everton92341016-69
17Crystal Palace9135611-56
18Ipswich TownIpswich9045920-114
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves90271225-132
20Southampton9018619-131


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