NOTTINGHAM FOREST SECURE HISTORIC 3-2 WIN OVER MANCHESTER UNITED AT OLD TRAFFORD
Nottingham Forest secured a historic 3-2 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday, December 7, 2024. The visitors took the lead just two minutes into the game with a goal from Nikola Milenkovic, followed by Morgan Gibbs-White’s speculative shot that wrong-footed Andre Onana. Chris Wood added to Forest’s tally with a floating header that left Lisandro Martinez unable to keep it out.
Manchester United managed to equalize through Rasmus Hojlund and Bruno Fernandes, but Forest held on to their lead, moving into the top five and two points off the top four. This victory marks a significant comeback for Nottingham Forest, who had previously been struggling on the road.
MATCH ANALYSIS
Nottingham Forest’s strong start to the game set the tone for the match. Milenkovic’s early goal gave the visitors confidence, and they continued to press Manchester United’s defense. Gibbs-White’s speculative shot in the 25th minute caught Onana off guard, and Wood’s header in the 55th minute sealed the win for Forest.
Manchester United’s resilience was on display as they fought back to equalize through Hojlund and Fernandes. However, Forest’s clinical finishing proved to be the difference between the two teams.
POST-MATCH REACTIONS
“We’re absolutely delighted with the win,” said Nottingham Forest manager, Nuno Espírito Santo. “The players showed great character and determination to hold on to the lead. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but we’re thrilled with the result.”
Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim, was disappointed with the result. “We didn’t start the game well, and we paid the price for it,” he said. “We fought back to equalize, but we couldn’t hold on to the lead. We’ll have to regroup and focus on our next match.”
MATCH STATISTICS
- Possession: Manchester United 58%, Nottingham Forest 42%
- Shots on target: Manchester United 10, Nottingham Forest 8
- Corners: Manchester United 7, Nottingham Forest 4
- Fouls: Manchester United 14, Nottingham Forest 16
- Yellow cards: Manchester United 3, Nottingham Forest 4
- Red cards: None
MATCH LINEUPS
Manchester United:
- Andre Onana (goalkeeper)
- Leny Yoro (right-back)
- Lisandro Martinez (center-back)
- Harry Maguire (center-back)
- Diogo Dalot (left-back)
- Kobbie Mainoo (central midfielder)
- Amad Diallo (central midfielder)
- Bruno Fernandes (attacking midfielder)
- Rasmus Hojlund (striker)
- Alejandro Garnacho (striker)
Nottingham Forest:
- Dean Henderson (goalkeeper)
- Neco Williams (right-back)
- Joe Worrall (center-back)
- Moussa Niakhate (center-back)
- Renan Lodi (left-back)
- Remo Freuler (central midfielder)
- Orel Mangala (central midfielder)
- Morgan Gibbs-White (attacking midfielder)
- Chris Wood (striker)
- Brennan Johnson (striker)
CONCLUSION
Nottingham Forest’s historic 3-2 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford marks a significant comeback for the visitors. The win moves Forest into the top five and two points off the top four, while Manchester United’s loss sees them drop to sixth place. The result sets up an exciting Premier League season, with Forest and United looking to bounce back from this result in their next matches.
