Calamitous Man Utd falter again as Forest claim historic Old Trafford win

Nottingham Forest handed Manchester United and Ruben Amorim a second successive defeat as they sealed a stunning 3-2 victory at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Nikola Milenkovic, Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood were on target for Forest, while Rasmus Hojlund and Bruno Fernandes struck back for the visitors.

Forest opened the scoring inside two minutes when Milenkovic rose highest from a corner to head his side ahead with his first goal for the club – the third corner United have conceded from in three games.

United did not let their heads drop and after 15 minutes of consistent pressure, finally found an equaliser when Hojlund poked home the rebound from Alejandro Garnacho’s close-range effort.

Both teams hit the woodwork in the first half through Jota Silva and Fernandes as they looked to edge ahead, but headed for the break all square.

Just as they did in the first half, Forest found the net within two minutes of the restart when Gibbs-White wrong-footed Andre Onana with a fierce strike from outside the box.

And that effort seemed to have wobbled Onana, who looked confused as Forest swung in a cross to Wood at the back post seven minutes later, and he looped a header back across goal and into the opposite corner of the net for 3-1 as the New Zealander became the club’s all-time top Premier League top scorer.

This time, United replied positively when Amad Diallo set up Fernandes to wrap his foot around a powerful strike to pull a goal back for the home side.

Forest held firm to move into the top five and two points off the top four, while United stay in 13th.

And we are not talking about Storm Darragh which has wreaked havoc across the nation, but the storm Amorim warned us all about.

The Portuguese manager admitted that things would get worse at Old Trafford before they get better, as he looks to turn around a miserable period in the club’s history.

United have set a new low, picking up their fewest points after 15 league games since the 1986/87 season, just before Sir Alex Ferguson was appointed.

It is now back-to-back defeats this season after a loss against Arsenal in midweek, and things are not about to get any easier with the Manchester derby on the horizon.

Gibbs-White scored and made an assist in a brilliant attacking performance, but it was a landmark night for Wood who became the club’s all-time leading Premier League top goalscorer with his 10th goal of the season.

He was a handful against United as he always is, especially this season – his best start in a Forest shirt – and made a fuss in the box as he nodded home his 25th top-flight goal for the club, which turned out to be the winner at Old Trafford.

Wood has now scored 10+ goals in six separate seasons in the Premier League and a total of 78 goals in 241 games.

Man Utd: Onana 3, De Ligt 5, Martinez 6, Yoro 5, Amad 7, Ugarte 7, Mainoo 7, Dalot 7, Fernandes 7, Garnacho 6, Hojlund 7

Subs: Maguire 6, Mazraoui 6, Mount 6, Rashford 6, Zirkzee 6

Nottingham Forest: Sels 7, Aina 7, Murillo 6, Milenkovic 7, Williams 7, Anderson 7, Yates 6, Jota 7, Gibbs-White 8, Hudson-Odoi 7, Wood 8

Subs: Morato 6, Dominguez 6, Elanga 6

2’ – GOAL!!! – MANCHESTER UNITED 0-1 NOTTINGHAM FOREST (MILENKOVIC): Nikola Milenkovic scores his first goal for Forest and puts the visitors ahead inside two minutes! It comes from a corner, where United conceded twice from at Arsenal, as Milenkovic rises highest to send a bullet header beyond Andre Onana. The worst possible start for United!

4’ – CHANCE FOR UNITED TO HIT STRAIGHT BACK! United race forward through Bruno Fernandes, who slips the ball to Alejandro Garnacho and the winger crosses for the arriving Rasmus Hojlund in the six-yard box but the ball is just out of his path as the cross flashes across goal.

18’ – GOAL!!! – MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 NOTTINGHAM FOREST (HOJLUND): A poacher’s goal from Hojlund has United level! Garnacho finds himself through on goal but his shot is saved, only for Hojlund to poke home the rebound.

27’ – FOREST HIT THE BAR! The free-kick gets sent into the box and is half-cleared by United, but Forest recycle the ball and Jota Silva sends a header onto the crossbar. So close to restoring their lead!

40’ – FERNANDES CLATTERS THE WOODWORK! United have a free-kick just outside the box, which Fernandes smashes onto the bar! Both teams have now struck the frame of the goal.

47’ – GOAL!!! – MANCHESTER UNITED 1-2 NOTTINGHAM FOREST (GIBBS-WHITE): Forest start the second half exactly as they did the first and they’re ahead! Morgan Gibbs-White takes aim from outside the box and wrong-foots Onana to blast Forest back in front!

54’ – GOAL!!! – MANCHESTER UNITED 1-3 NOTTINGHAM FOREST (WOOD): Wood scores Forest’s third and he is now the club’s leading all-time scorer in the Premier League! A cross comes in from the right and Wood sends a looping header back across goal from the back post, which evades a confused Onana and Lisandro Martinez on the line before nestling into the opposite corner.

62’ – GOAL!!! – MANCHESTER UNITED 2-3 NOTTINGHAM FOREST (FERNANDES): United have one back! Amad drives into the box from the right and sets up Fernandes, who fires home with a first-time strike.

• Forest have won at both Old Trafford and Anfield in the same season for the first time.
• Chris Wood is Forest’s all-time leading Premier League top goalscorer with 25 goals.
• Man Utd have recorded their lowest points total after 15 games since the 1986/87 campaign.