Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester United: Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils tighten grip on top-four spot with away win

Manchester United put their European blues behind them as they classily beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 on a testing afternoon at the City Ground.

It was Antony who got the opening goal on 32 minutes, and Diogo Dalot, playing in an unfamiliar left-back role, doubled the visitors’ lead late on, but it was the man in the middle of the park, Bruno Fernandes, who ran the show.

The raucous home support sang till their throats dried out, giving their all to spur their struggling side on, but they were outplayed.

Fernandes, accompanied by the late change Christian Eriksen, who replaced the injured Marcel Sabitzer, starred in the half-spaces, the Forest players surrounding them unable to get close, in proximity and quality. The gulf was vast.

United peppered the home goal, and Steve Cooper will have Keylor Navas to thank for keeping the score respectable.

It was Jadon Sancho inside two minutes who blasted into the sliding Felipe after Navas’ parry from Fernandes, before the Portuguese magnifico span on a sixpence just after the half-hour, feeding the dangerous Anthony Martial in the left-hand channel, and the Frenchman’s shot was saved well by the Forest goalkeeper initially, only for Antony to steal a march on his compatriot Renan Lodi at the far post to prod United into the lead.

That wasn’t before a mighty scare for the Red Devils as Scott McKenna’s shoulder had the ball kiss the post from a set-piece, and Taiwo Awoniyi, a thorn in the side of the returning Harry Maguire, saw his close-range poke cleared off the line by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Fernandes rattled the crossbar after a well-worked corner, via Navas’ fingertips, before swivelling on the edge of the area and flashing a shot towards the near post. He was again thwarted by the determined Costa Rican.

Felipe missed a glorious chance from a corner as his glanced effort was just too high at the near post with quarter of an hour to play, but the Forest chances were few and far between.

That miss would prove perilous, and it was Dalot who killed Forest off with a crushing blow, slotting home to finish a sweeping move through the thirds.

The result leaves United in third on 59 points and Forest in 18th on 27 points.

TALKING POINT – WINNING THE MIDFIELD BATTLE, WINNING THE WAR

United were electric in midfield. That’s not something said much in recent years.

Fernandes, of course, was at the heart of everything good in the middle of the park, but it was Eriksen, playing in his quarterback-like role, who played an outstanding second fiddle.

Elegant in possession, determined in his running and disciplined in his defending alongside Casemiro, the Dane played a pivotal role in helping the visitors obtain a numerical overload in the engine room, which ultimately was Forest’s undoing.

United were able to bypass the aggressive home press with a simple pass between the lines into Eriksen, and within one turn, they were away, with acres of space to exploit.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – BRUNO FERNANDES, MANCHESTER UNITED

All-action, all-powerful, awe-inspring.

The Portuguese has excelled this season after a difficult campaign last year, and ten Hag has got him back to playing to his strengths.

Despite not wearing the armband today, he led by example with his running and his quality on the ball, showing his eager eye for goal as he continued to pummel effort after effort at Keylor Navas.

PLAYER RATINGS

Forest: Navas 7, Felipe 6, McKenna 6, Niakhate 6, Williams 6, Freuler 6, Danilo 6, Lodi 6, Gibbs-White 6, Johnson 5, Awoniyi 7. Subs: Surridge 6, Mangala 6, Lingard 6, Dennis 6.

United: De Gea 6, Wan-Bissaka 7, Maguire 5, Lindelof 6, Dalot 7, Casemiro 6, Fernandes 8, Antony 7, Eriksen 7, Sancho 5, Martial 6. Subs: Weghorst 6, Fred 6.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

18′: GREAT SAVE! United bypass the Forest press as de Gea fires into Eriksen, who spins on a sixpence. It’s worked out to Antony, whose first effort is blocked, and Fernandes strikes! Great save, Keylor Navas.

25′: POST! The corner is swung in, and McKenna shoulders it against the post! So close!

32′: GOAL! United are ahead, and it’s Antony! Fernandes is free in the space between the lines once more, and he feeds Martial down the left. Martial strikes, Navas parries, and Antony steals a march ahead of Lodi to knock it into the unguarded net.

56′: OFF THE BAR! United play a corner short as Fernandes receives it back from Eriksen, and from the angle, he rattles the crossbar as Navas clips it with his fingertip.

76′: GOAL! It’s two, and it’s Diogo Dalot! A sweeping move from United, and it’s worked really nicely between the lines, into Antony, who drives infield. Dalot comes inside from left-back once more to maraud into the box, and he gathers the ball at his feet, before slotting beyond the onrushing Navas.

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