Manchester United went into the international break with some momentum behind the side, as they were on an unbeaten run in the league, including some tricky and hard-fought results. In addition, getting past Sociedad in the Europa League means an upcoming clash with Lyon awaits in just over a week’s time. Standing in the way of that however is a weekend clash with rivals Manchester City, and a return to domestic action with a tricky away trip to Nottingham Forest.

This game saw United reverting to type as they allowed an early mistake from their own corner and a lack of strong defending and physicality allowed former United player Elanga to zip through the defence and a weak attempt to save from Onana. For the rest of the game, United looked to take control, but despite the best efforts of Bruno Fernandes once again, United’s forward line was lacking and couldn’t break down the resolute Forest back-line.

The result does little other than knocking the momentum of United ahead of a key couple of games to come, while for Nottingham Forest, their win boosts their hopes massively of a Champions League place, and United will have to go the long way round of winning the Europa League if they have any chance of joining them.

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Teams

Manchester United still have an extended list of players on the treatment table, with some key players missing the rest of the campaign. Despite this, the international break offered a chance for recovery for some players ahead of a key couple of weeks that could define United’s season this year and next. With some rotation in the side, Zirkzee was given the nod despite Hojlund’s improved form for club and country, Casemiro continued to prove he wasn’t quite done yet as he started alongside Ugarte, and on the bench there was a blend of youth and experience as United have come to expect in recent years with their injury crisis ongoing.

For Nottingham Forest, they had a setback during the international break, as striker Chris Wood picked up a hip injury while on the other side of the World playing for New Zealand. Although this halts the players terrific season, Forest still have reinforcements who can slot into Nuno’s system with ease as they have shown to be a strong team unit throughout this campaign.

Nottingham Forest: Sels, Williams, Murillo, Milenkovic, Aina (Moreno), Anderson (Dominguez), Yates, Danilo (Morato), Gibbs-White, Elanga (Sangare), Awoniyi (Sosa)

Subs: Miguel, Toffolo, Boly, Silva

Manchester United: Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Yoro (Maguire), Dorgu, Casemiro (Eriksen), Ugarte (Hojlund), Dalot, Fernandes, Garnacho, Zirkzee (Mount)

Subs: Bayindir, Amass, Lindelof, Kone, Collyer

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Manchester United

Nottingham Forest earned a gritty and memorable 1-0 victory over Manchester United at the City Ground on Tuesday night, thanks to a stunning solo goal from former United player Anthony Elanga. The Swedish winger struck inside the opening five minutes, and it proved decisive as Forest held firm against a wasteful United side. The win offers a crucial boost for Nuno Espírito Santo’s men in their battle for a Champions League place, and ends any feeling of momentum that United had built up prior to the international break.

The decisive moment arrived in spectacular fashion in the 5th minute. After a Forest clearance deep in their own half, Elanga picked up the ball just outside his box and surged forward with blistering pace. Evading multiple challenges as he tore through the heart of United’s midfield and defence, he raced 85 metres in just nine seconds before calmly slotting past André Onana. It was a goal full of composure, athleticism, and personal significance, having been released by United less than two years ago.

Manchester United responded with waves of possession but lacked penetration in the final third. It’s well documented that United’s striking output has lacked, and with another 23 shots, 1.63xG and 3 big chances, United failed to get through the resolute and compact Forest side. For United, this halt in momentum isn’t ideal with the upcoming Europa League clash against Lyon, and they will be fully focussed on this competition given the disaster of a league campaign.

Talking Points

​Anthony Elanga delivered a poignant reminder of his potential, scoring the decisive goal in Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 victory over his former club, Manchester United. Just five minutes into the match, Elanga embarked on an electrifying 85-metre solo run, outpacing United’s defence before calmly slotting the ball past goalkeeper André Onana . The 22-year-old, who transferred to Forest in 2023 for £15 million, admitted post-match that the game was “kind of personal,” aiming to prove his worth after limited opportunities at Old Trafford . His muted celebration and emotional response at full-time underscored the significance of the moment, as Forest secured their first league double over United since the Brian Clough era, and Elanga has become the second former player to score against United in the league this season.

Despite dominating possession and registering 23 shots, Manchester United’s attacking woes persisted. Diogo Dalot’s header struck the crossbar, and Alejandro Garnacho narrowly missed the target on multiple occasions . Substitute Mason Mount’s late effort also went agonizingly wide, while Harry Maguire’s stoppage-time header was heroically cleared off the line by Forest’s Murillo . The defeat marked United’s 13th in the league this season, leaving them languishing in 13th place and highlighting their continued struggles in front of goal.​

With domestic ambitions dwindling, Manchester United’s focus now shifts to the Europa League quarter-final 1st leg away to Lyon in just over a week. The league at this point is no more than a distraction and chance for rotation, as United are destined for what will likely be their worst ever Premier League finish, and so the key Europa League games will be the final chance of success and offer a route to the Champions League and a much needed cash injection. With Manchester City however standing in the way between now and the 1st leg clash in France, I would expect to see rotation at points from Amorim, and a huge chance for United to recapture some of the momentum they had prior the international break.