Manchester United were two goals down with five minutes to play but they made a complete turnaround
Manchester United secured a hard-fought but sweet victory after a 3-2 comeback at home to Nottingham Forest in a Premier League third-round tie. The visitors took an early two-goal lead in the opening minutes as Taiwo Awoni (2') and Willy Boley struck, but the Red Devils then produced their strongest performance of the campaign to grab the three points after goals by Christian Eriksen (17'), Casemiro (52') and Bruno Fernandes (76', penalty). The visitors were left with a man less, after their captain Joe Worrell was sent off in the 67th minute.
Erik ten Hag had serious problems after the series of injuries in his team and placed Diogo Dalot on the left of the defense after the injury of Luke Shaw, Mason Mount was replaced by Eriksen, and surprisingly at the top of the attack Anthony Martial started, who did not distinguish himself with any more serious performances and after the break was replaced by Jaden Sancho.
The hosts started quite aggressively and managed to get a dangerous shot on goal in the 40th second through Antoni, but Matt Turner made a rather tentative save. This led to a corner, namely after clearing the ball behind him, the ball reached Taiwo Awoni, who managed to get away from Marcus Rashford, advanced at high speed and beat Andre Onana for 0-1. The visitors inflicted a second crushing blow on their opponents soon after when a foul was awarded and his cross from the right was met by a completely unmarked Willie Boley who headed home to make it 0-2.
The players of Manchester United were able to gradually impose very serious pressure, establishing most of the happenings on the field almost entirely around the penalty area of their guests. It paid off in the 17th minute, when first Bruno Fernandes shot very dangerously, then Rashford, this time in the familiar way, dealt with a defender in white, entered the penalty area and released the ball parallel to the goal line, where Christian Eriksen sent it in the net for 1:2. In the 20th minute, Casemiro made another dangerous shot, which turned into Matt Turner's fourth save.
Erik ten Haag's men came very close to a second goal in the 25th minute when Nottingham's defense mishandled a cross from a corner, the ball reached the Brazilian defensive midfielder, but he failed to send it into the net from about a meter - two . The hosts continued to apply pressure and keep the match almost completely under control, but new good interventions by Matt Turner, as well as not so good quality plays, deprived them of another goal. In the last few minutes, visitors Nottingham Forest managed to be a little sharper again, but Raphael Varane made a good save on one of their dangerous entries into the box.
It was the Frenchman who was replaced at the break by Victor Lindelof, who most likely suffered an injury. The hosts again seemed to start the second half not very focused, and the Swede, who appeared from the bench, allowed himself to be overcome by Auoni, and subsequently the ball ended up in Morgan Gibbs-White, but the cross was well intervened by Dalot.
Gradually, what happened on the pitch followed almost identically to what was seen in the first half, with Manchester United's players once again settling around the Nottingham Forest penalty area. That's how it came to the 52nd minute, when Bruno Fernandes surprisingly launched a parallel to Rashford, the striker sent the ball back into the penalty area to the Portuguese, and he found Casemiro with his head, who equalized. A minute or two later, Antoni came very close to turning things around for the home side, but another excellent tackle from Matt Turner only earned the Red Devils a corner.
The hosts could have completed their complete turnaround before the hour mark when the Brazilian winger was brought down in the box and played a good ball to Bruno Fernandes, but the Portuguese's shot went wide of the post. In the 67th minute, visiting captain Joe Worrell was shown a straight red card for fouling Bruno Fernandes, who was charging into the box chasing a long pass from the back. The ensuing static situation was again executed substandardly by the Portuguese, but his compatriot Diogo Dalot was surprised by the pass to himself and was unable to play.
The Red Devils' pressure continued until the 75th minute when Marcus Rashford burst into the box, a little theatrically benefiting from a collision with Danilo, but it won him a penalty. Bruno Fernandes stood behind the ball and after a very strong performance completed the complete turnaround in favor of the home team - 3:2. In the 84th minute, Steve Clarke's players had their turn to claim a penalty after Sheikou Kouyate's rather light fall in the penalty area, and Andre Onana subsequently had to intervene after a dangerous shot at his own goal.
At the very beginning of the added time of 11 minutes, Antoni Elanga broke into the penalty area oto the field and launched a parallel pass, but Chris Wood failed to intercept, and instead fouled the guard, which turned out to be the last serious situation in the match. Manchester United have the very serious task of visiting Arsenal in London next week, while today's visitors Nottingham Forest host Burnley in a League Cup second round clash in midweek.
