On Sunday, Manchester United defeated Nottingham Forest 2-0, with Antony scoring and assisting Diogo Dalot. The victory propelled them to third place in the Premier League table and into contention for a place in next season’s Champions League. Despite missing Marcus Rashford and Raphael Varane for a few weeks and Lisandro Martinez for the remainder of the season due to injuries, Manchester United has retained its league position. Steve Cooper’s Forest, who have now gone ten league games without a win, are now third from bottom with just 27 points.
Antony scored in the 32nd minute after Anthony Martial’s attempt was saved by goalkeeper Keylor Navas. In the 56th minute, Bruno Fernandes unleashed a terrific shot, but Navas jumped to push it out of danger before diving to save another shot from Fernandes four minutes later. Dalot scored his first Premier League goal in the 76th minute, racing onto a precise through ball from Antony.
Dalot’s performance was key in United’s victory because he came in as a left-back due to the injuries to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia. The Portuguese right-back not only halted Nottingham Forest’s main danger, Brennan Johnson, but also moved into central midfield to assist Casemiro, freeing Christian Eriksen, and scoring the game-winning goal in the last minutes.
Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 to climb to third place in the Premier League
United now has a six-point lead over fifth-placed Tottenham and a game in hand, putting them in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League. In addition to the league, the club is still chasing the Europa League and the FA Cup final, which they will face at Wembley on Sunday. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest has now gone 10 league games without a win and is in danger of relegation.
After the game, Fernandes stated that the result was crucial since the team wants to compete in the Champions League next season. He went on to say that while he wants to score goals, the team comes first. Dalot was also thrilled with the victory, stating that the goal was significant and that the team was pleased with their effort.
United manager Erik ten Hag applauded the players, adding that they have more than 11 starting players and that the players on the field performed admirably. Although Maguire, Lindelöf, and Dalot all played well, Maguire was booked for dragging Taiwo Awoniyi to the ground as the Forest No. 9 attempted to run away from his own half.
Ten Hag’s first season is a success
Manchester United’s victory over Nottingham Forest kept their chances of qualifying for the Champions League next season alive. Despite injuries affecting their club, they have retained their league position with the support of their strong squad. The club will now focus on the next Europa League and FA Cup finals, hoping to secure further victories and continue their quest for triumph on numerous fronts.
