Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest: The Red Devils came from 0-2 behind to win the game by 3-2 against Forest

Erik ten Hag's side came into the game on a 30-match unbeaten run at home in all competitions but conceded two goals in the first four minutes. It was the earliest Manchester United ever trailed by two goals in the Premier League era. But the Red Devils did the unthinkable and made a huge comeback from there. Eriksen, Casemiro, and finally the skipper Bruno Fernandes scored for the home team to earn all three points from the Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest fixture at Old Trafford. It was not their best performance but they will happily take it after being 0-2 down in just four minutes into the game. Read the Match Report and share your thoughts in the comments.

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Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest: Teams –

• Manchester United: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane (Lindelof 46), Martinez, Dalot; Casemiro, Fernandes (c), Eriksen; Antony (McTominay 84), Martial (Sancho 60), Rashford.
• Not used: Henderson, Fernandez, Maguire, Gore, Garnacho, Pellistri.
• Scorers: Eriksen 17, Casemiro 52, Fernandes 76 (pen).
• Booked: Wan-Bissaka, Rashford, Onana, Fernandes.

• Nottingham Forest: Turner; Aurier, Boly, Worrall, McKenna (Niakhate 56), Aina; Yates, Danilo (Elanga 81); Johnson (Kouyate 70), Gibbs-White; Awoniyi (Wood 81).
• Not used: Horvath, Freuler, Montiel, Williams, Hwang.
• Scorers: Awoniyi 2, Boly 4.
• Booked: Aurier, Gibbs-White, Aina, Kouyate.
• Sent off: Worrall

Premier League 2023-23: Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest Match Report

First Half:

Antony tested Matt Turner in the first minute but Old Trafford was stunned moments later when a United corner was cleared and Awoniyi was left with a race against Rashford to go clean through on goal. The in-form striker scored for the seventh successive Premier League game. Awoniyi kept his composure and confused Andre Onana completely as Nottingham Forest got the lead in the 2nd minute of the game.

It went from bad to worse for the Red Devils. Brennan Johnson's free-kick hit Boly and bounced past Onana into the net. Silence in the crowd as Forest went 0-2 up just four minutes into the game. United didn't let their heads down and tried their best to produce a memorable comeback in front of their fans.

The earliest Man Utd have ever gone 2-0 down in a Premier League match 🤯@NFFC started quickly at Old Trafford! pic.twitter.com/Ri4N3tS0iX

— Premier League (@premierleague) August 26, 2023

Rashford got into the box and squeezed in a driven cross that was expertly flicked into the far corner of the net by Eriksen. He put one back on his return to the starting XI. Casemiro should have scored with a header when a Fernandes corner skidded through to him. The ball travelled at pace but it left those in the Stretford End wondering why United were not back on level terms.

Second Half:

Diogo Dalot made a neat interception deep inside his own box as the visitors tried to invade the home defence after the resumption. United took over in terms of controlling possession and creating chances. Fernandes fired a long-ranger off target and then produced a moment of magic in the 52nd minute. The skipper's free-kick reached Rashford, who intelligently returned it to the skipper again. Bruno nodded it across to an unmarked Casemiro, who scored home with his second touch to make it 2-2.

Danilo instantly responded with a shot that Onana saved but the play went straight back down the other end as Antony's vintage curler was brilliantly grabbed by Turner. That superb save kept things all square for some moment. But Lisandro Martinez's dangerous ball across the six-yard box evaded everybody. In the 67th minute, Worrall was shown a red card for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity. He pulled Fernandes down as a Casemiro through ball held up to drop into the Portugal international's path. VAR approved the decision by referee Stuart Attwell. Bruno wasted the free kick but soon corrected it by scoring the winner.

Relief for the Reds! 🔴#MUFC || #MUNNFO

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 26, 2023

Rashford got fouled in the box when he tried to work his way past Danilo. Bruno scored from the spot and United completed their comeback in style. The work was still incomplete though. Ex-United winger Anthony Elanga came on and caused problems. The 11 minutes of stoppage time was surely not wanted by the Red Devils. A nerve-jangling finale, as Forest went all out despite being 1 man down. They tried but the defensive unit of United remained calm and collective. They didn't allow any kind of nonsense and in the end, it was none other than the Red Devils who snatched the three points from the visitors.

Post Match:

"Horror start, but the character of the team was brilliant. We stayed so calm and so composed. We stuck to our belief, stuck to our plan, played some good football, and scored three good goals. It was a great comeback. With all respect to Forest, we can't allow them . They were easy giveaways. It's crazy, but sometimes games go like this. As I said, we stayed calm. We have the personality. In certain moments we can definitely improve, but in general, this team has the character to bounce back all the time."

- Erik ten Hag

"It wasn't the perfect start for us but we kept control, kept the ball, and started doing the right things. They defended well with a lot of players and it was difficult to get through, but we got the result and that's the most important thing. I knew we had time to change the situation, but we kept calm. We started to keep the ball at the back and gain confidence, and after that the game was always on our side. We created a lot of shots in the first half. Overall, the performance was really good apart from those four minutes. We know what it means to be a Manchester United player. We know this shirt demands a lot and we are ready for that. The team showed great spirit, passion and desire. We just need to be aware that we can't concede so early."

- Bruno Fernandes