Successive defeats for Amorim as Forest record memorable win

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Ruben Amorim suffered his second successive defeat as Manchester United manager, and his first at Old Trafford, as Nottingham Forest ran out 3-2 winners in a thriller at Old Trafford.

Amorim’s side conceded early in both halves to compound their midweek defeat to Arsenal, as Nikola Milenkovic, Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood scored for the visitors to claim first win on United turf for three decades.

Rasmus Hojlund and Bruno Fernandes found the net for the hosts on a day when the Red Devils paid tribute to their long-serving and much-loved receptionist, Kath Phipps, who died this week at the age of 85.

For Forest, it was their second trip to Manchester in four days following their 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Wednesday. But, this time, the visitor’s trip to the city was a much happier one.

United were breached twice from corners against the Gunners and they were again punished from a set piece when the towering Milenkovic rose highest to head home from a corner inside 90 seconds.

It was the Serbia international’s first Forest goal and the worst possible start for Amorim’s side.

The visitors have shown on several occasions this term that they can preserve a lead so, moments later, it was no surprise to see a wall of light blue shirts hurl themselves to block Amad Diallo’s low strike from a set-piece routine.

But Forsest were not in front for long when, on 18-minutes, Alejandro Garnacho’s effort was pushed into the path of Hojlund by keeper Matz Sels.

The Danish striker was on hand to stroke the ball into the net to bring the scores level.

From there, it was something of a momentum tug of war between the two teams.

Jota Silva, nicknamed the ‘Portuguese Jack Grealish’ owing, in part, to his physical resemblance to the Manchester City player, struck the bar with a header shortly before the half-hour mark.

United then returned the favour when Fernandes’ free-kick was tipped onto the woodwork by Sels five minutes before half-time.

But immediately after the break, Forest repeated their first-half antics when Gibbs-White fired past Andre Onana after Fernandes had given the ball away cheaply to Callum Hudson-Odoi.

The winger played the ball to Forest’s number 10 who unleashed a fierce drive that the United shot stopper failed to stop.

The in-form Wood, celebrating his 33rd birthday, soon increased Forest’s advantage when he headed a deep Gibbs-White cross back across goal.

The ball eluded everyone before dropping into the far side of the net to give Wood his 10th league goal this term and see him become Forest’s leading goalscorer in the Premier League era.

Fernandes then atoned for his earlier error by pulling a goal back, sweeping the ball home after some fine work by Diallo in the build up.

Out of nowhere, the game had become a thriller. Dalot and Diallo both had half chances as the visitors looked to close out the contest.

Substitute Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martinez then saw volleys fizz wide but Forest held on to end a 30-year wait for an Old Trafford victory.




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