NOTTM FOREST 0, MAN UNITED 2
It’s been a brilliant weekend for injury-hit Manchester United in their quest to secure Champions League football.
The patched-up Reds were emphatic winners at relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest while Newcastle and Tottenham, rivals for a top-four place, both slipped up.
Goals from Brazilian winger Antony and left-back Diogo Dalot earned United a win which lifts them to third place and considerably strengthens their position.
It was a terrific display from the Reds who would have won by a wider margin but for the brilliance of Forest’s Costa Rican goalkeeper Keyler Navas who pulled off a string of fine saves.
But with 68 per cent possession and 22 goal attempts to Forest’s six, it was a dominant display by Eric ten Hag’s side when they could easily have faltered against opponents who have now not won in 10 league games.
Ten Hag was delighted with the strength in depth of the squad, explaining: “With injuries we have to replace players.
Embed from Getty Images“We have more than 11 starters and proved it today. There were all very good performances.”
Ten Hag added when Sabitzer pulled out it was great to be able to bring in a player of Christian Eriksen’s calibre and it was not a disadvantage.
He also pointed out last week the Reds had nine fit defenders, but today it is only four and they need numbers when they are one of the few teams in Europe still battling for honours on three fronts.
Ten Hag was pleased with Antony’s contribution of one goal and one assist.
“Strikers need an end product, and he has score eight goals which is not bad for a first year at United, and there are still games left,” he said.
“He has to do it in a lot of games if he is going to be a top-class player.”
Forest manager Steve Cooper, who thought his side should have been awarded a penalty which could have been a game changer, said: “We know that we have to turn the performances into results. There is a lot of scrutiny on us due to our league position and the time of the season that it is. But the situation is the situation.
“The atmosphere was great again today, the fans really got behind us. The result is tough one to take. Another tough day.
“We didn’t look after the ball well enough, which you could see with the first goal. When we did have better quality, we did get into some half decent areas.
“We were tactically okay in the game. We got played through and they played around us at times, but that can happen (against top teams).
Ten Hag made three switches to the team that surrendered a two-goal lead against Sevilla on Thursday.
Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof replaced the injured centre-back duo Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane while Dalot came in for Tyrell Malacia.
But that became four when Marcel Sabitzer was injured in the warm-up, and he was replaced by Eriksen.
Sabitzer joined a worrying injury list which also included Marcus Rashford, Martinez, Varane, Scott McTominay, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw.
There were four changes for Forest to the team that lost 2-0 to Aston Villa last weekend.
Taiwo Awoniyi, Remo Freuler, Renan Lodi and Scott McKenna came in for Joe Worrall, Harry Toffolo, Jonjo Shelvey and Cheikhou Kouyate.
There was an electrifying start to the game as Jadon Sancho had the chance to put the Reds ahead in little more than 30 seconds, a demonstration it was going to be a long afternoon for Forest.
Navas palmed out a low cross from Bruno Fernandes and Sancho’s effort was kept out by the outstretched leg of the keeper.
Then at the other end Taiwo Awoniyi’s goalbound effort was blocked by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Navas was also called into action to beat out a fierce drive from Fernandes.
Maguire, book in only the third minute, then found himself subject of a VAR review into a possible handball which would have been harsh had it been awarded.
United’s new-look defence was looking decidedly shaky as Scott McKenna, lurking at the far post, headed against the upright from Morgan Gibbs-White’s corner.
The breakthrough from the Reds came in the 32nd minute when Fernandes fed Anthony Martial whose shot was parried by Navas and Antony slotted home the loose ball for his eighth goal of the season but his first in 15 Premier League games.
Forest had a great chance shortly before the break when Dalot’s loose ball fell to Awoniyi who blazed over when well placed.
United ought to have added a second in stoppage time when Fernandes had a free header from Eriksen’s cross but failed to hit the target.
Forest had a second shout for a penalty rejected immediately after the restart, this time against Dalot, but referee Simon Hooper immediately brushed it aside.
Antony almost scored a second as he bent an effort just over from Fernandes’ short corner.
Navas denied Fernandes a goal as he brilliantly tipped his effort on to the crossbar following a short corner routine worked with Eriksen.
Antony also fired narrowly wide and Fernandes forced a fine low save from Navas who also blocked an Eriksen effort as it looked only a matter of time before United would double their advantage.
Martial had his head in hands as he headed wide from Casemiro’s cross, a glaring miss, his last action before being replaced by Wout Weghorst.
The second goal finally arrived in the 76th minute from an unlikely source, Dalot. Antony produced a dazzling run on the right before threading a pass to release Dalot as the left back slotted home a low shot.
Fred became the second substitution with 11 minutes left as he replaced the excellent Eriksen.