United 2- 2 Nottingham Forest
United's Winning Streak Ends at City Ground
Manchester United’s winning streak ended yesterday after their draw vs Nottingham Forest at the City ground. It was an entertaining match that saw United take the lead and then concede two in quick succession before an Amad stunner rescued a point for them in the late stages of the match.
Ruben Amorim named an unchanged XI for the first time in his Manchester United career, showing that he perhaps has an idea of what his best team is, starting the exact team that won 4-2 vs Brighton last time out. Sean Dyche also named an unchanged XI from their 2-0 loss to Bournemouth last week.
From minute 1, the match at the City Ground promised action, with both Nottingham Forest and Manchester United pressing for an early advantage. The home side showed immediate intent, creating the first notable chance in the 6th minute when Nikola Milenkovic headed a corner kick just wide of the target. A minute later, in the 7th minute, Forest again came close when Dan Ndoye forced a strong save from the United goalkeeper.
The early pressure, however, was interrupted by an unfortunate setback for Forest. In the 13th minute, they were forced into an early substitution as Ryan Yates came on to replace Douglas Luiz, who had sustained an injury. This disruption did not immediately halt Forest’s attacking efforts, but United began to settle and assert their presence.
Around the half-hour mark, United registered their first major attempt on target. In the 27th minute, a pass from Bruno Fernandes set up Amad Diallo, whose left-footed curler was well saved by the Forest goalkeeper, Matz Sels. The deadlock was then finally broken in the 34th minute through a set-piece. Bruno Fernandes delivered a corner kick that found Casemiro, who rose high to head the ball home, giving Manchester United the 0-1 lead. The corner award itself was contested by the Forest players, but the goal stood. Despite taking the lead, United failed to capitalize fully before the break, as Amad Diallo fired a wayward shot high and wide in the 40th minute after cutting inside from the edge of the box but United preserved their lead till the interval.
The second half began with a sensational and devastating quickfire comeback from Nottingham Forest that completely overturned the scoreline within two minutes. Just three minutes after the restart, in the 48th minute, Forest equalised when Ryan Yates whipped in a cross that was met by Morgan Gibbs-White, who headed home forcefully to make it 1-1. Before United could regroup, Forest struck again in the 50th minute. A loose ball dropped into the box, where Nicolo Savona reacted quickest to pounce and score from close range, completing the turnaround and putting Forest ahead, 2-1.
The sudden reversal of fortunes forced Manchester United to chase the game, and they nearly found an immediate reply. In the 60th minute, Bruno Fernandes unleashed a long-range shot that struck the post. The rebound fell to Casemiro, but the midfielder prodded his effort wide under defensive pressure, missing the chance to level the scores. The game became increasingly physical, marked by a yellow card for Forest’s Dan Ndoye in the 62nd minute for a foul on Luke Shaw. Forest, now with the lead, maintained their threat, and in the 66th minute, Igor Jesus connected with a Callum Hudson-Odoi cross at the back post, but his header drifted wide.
In a bid to find an equalizer, Manchester United made two substitutions: Patrick Dorgu replaced Diogo Dalot in the 68th minute, and Noussair Mazraoui replaced Leny Yoro in the 77th minute. Forest responded by bringing on fresh legs in attack, with Taiwo Awoniyi replacing Igor Jesus in the 78th minute.
The substitutions and increasing pressure from United paid off spectacularly in the 81st minute. From a half-cleared corner, Amad Diallo scored a stunning equalising goal, meeting the ball with a perfect volley from the edge of the box and firing it into the net to make the score 2-2. The final ten minutes, plus stoppage time, were played at a frantic pace. United’s substitute Noussair Mazraoui received a yellow card for a bad foul in the 85th minute. Forest had one last effort from a set piece in the 86th minute, but Nikola Milenkovic missed the target with a header.
The drama continued right to the final whistle. In the 87th minute, Matheus Cunha forced a save from Matz Sels with a shot from outside the box. Forest then made their final change in the 91st minute as Ibrahim Sangaré replaced Callum Hudson-Odoi. The intensity peaked in stoppage time with a series of near misses for United. Casemiro’s shot was blocked, and immediately following that, Amad Diallo’s shot from the centre of the box was also blocked. The final piece of action saw a corner conceded by Murillo in the 94th minute, but United could not convert, ending the match in a 2-2 draw.
