Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest: Forest Downs United as Amorim Suffers Another Defeat

Nikola Milenkovic gave the visitors an early lead, heading in Elliot Anderson’s corner just 91 seconds into the game. However, Rasmus Højlund equalized for Manchester United 16 minutes later, reacting quickly to score after Alejandro Garnacho’s initial shot was saved by Matz Sels.

The first half saw Jota Silva and Bruno Fernandes come close to scoring, with both hitting the woodwork. Shortly after halftime, Morgan Gibbs-White restored Nottingham Forest’s lead, making it 2-1 in the 47th minute. Chris Wood then extended Forest’s advantage with a looping header past André Onana.

United captain Bruno Fernandes narrowed the gap in the 61st minute, giving United hope of a comeback. Despite a determined push for an equalizer, Forest held firm to secure all three points.

Forest now sits on 25 points from 15 matches, while Manchester United remains in 13th place with 19 points. For United manager Ruben Amorim, this marked the second consecutive defeat—a rarity in his career, with the first instance dating back to his time at Sporting in August 2022.

Amorim defended his decision to substitute Fernandes, despite the midfielder’s influential performance and crucial goal. Fernandes was replaced by Mason Mount in the 75th minute as United struggled to break through Forest’s defense.

“Bruno was too tired, and I wanted Mount to play as a second midfielder who could stretch the play on the left,” Amorim explained. “We paired Joshua [Zirkzee] with Rasmus [Højlund] for combinations and managed Leny [Yoro]’s minutes to avoid overloading him. Harry Maguire came on to help with set-pieces and win first balls, which was critical against Nottingham’s transitions.”

Amorim acknowledged the team’s demanding schedule and the fans’ frustration after a second consecutive defeat, including a 2-0 loss to Arsenal at the Emirates midweek.