Nottingham Forest secured a 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Tuesday, with Anthony Elanga delivering the decisive goal against his former club in a Premier League clash at the City Ground.
Elanga, who departed Old Trafford two years ago to make room for Antony, showcased his determination by sprinting two-thirds of the pitch to net the winner just five minutes into the game.
United came close to an equalizer when Diogo Dalot’s first-half header struck the crossbar, while substitute Mason Mount narrowly missed the target with a late effort.
However, the visitors struggled to carve out clear opportunities, continuing a disappointing campaign marked by a lack of attacking sharpness.
With this triumph, Forest extended their impressive run under Nuno Espirito Santo, cementing their third-place position in the league and moving eight points ahead of Chelsea.
Meanwhile, United’s defeat, their first in five league matches, left them languishing in 13th place.
“We controlled the game, but we already knew this team can score goals out of nothing,” United manager Ruben Amorim told TNT Sports. “When they scored we changed the game a little bit from what they want. We tried with good opportunities, but in the last third, the last pass, the last assist wasn’t there. Then if we don’t have that, we cannot score goals.”
Forest, having already edged United 3-2 at Old Trafford in December, were determined to complete a rare league double over them, a feat they last achieved in the 1991-92 season under Brian Clough.
Their ambition was evident early on, capitalizing on United’s defensive lapse to register the opening goal for the 23rd time this season, more than any other Premier League side. In contrast, only Leicester City has conceded first in more matches across all competitions among top-flight clubs.
Struggling to generate meaningful chances, United turned to Rasmus Højlund, hoping to build on his goal against Leicester.
Despite the tactical reshuffle, the visitors remained ineffective in attack. A late push saw Harry Maguire add an aerial presence, with one effort in stoppage time being dramatically cleared off the line by Forest’s Murillo.
Forest held firm to move one step closer to European qualification for the first time in 45 years.
“Suffer, hard work, believe, helping each other, clearance on the line,” Nuno remarked. “It was a very hard game for us. The records, the boys are breaking all of them and today the City Ground was part of the game.”
United, meanwhile, suffered their 13th Premier League defeat of the season—just one short of their all-time worst record of 14 losses in the 2023-24 campaign.
