Nottingham Forest 1-0 Manchester United (Premier League) 01.04.24

Take that back to Manchester, one memorable band who have graced the City Ground in recent times, but this latest music to the ears in NG2 is rings and chimes of the Champions League theme tune. Little old Nottingham Forest are nine points above Manchester City in fifth, I hope anybody’s not stupid enough to write us off.

After 120 minutes of FA Cup football on the south coast on Saturday night, Forest laboured to victory against a toothless Manchester United, it was done so by the speediest of injections from a United old boy, it just had to be Anthony Elanga.

From a United corner, Forest’s rapid counterattack came, within eight seconds from the Trent End goal mouth to the Bridgford End eighteen yard box the Reds were one up, then came plan A… sit back, retreat, defend, thou shall not pass.

Ruben Amorim’s tinkering had no solution, after seeing off Zirkee, the Reds defence had to endure the forward lumped balls up to makeshift striker Harry Maguire, and despite the former Sheffield United and Leicester man causing the most problems of a star studded sad indictment of a once great institution, when he prodded towards goal in the seventh minute of added time, there was Murillo, to batter it away.

It was a win that they’ll say Forest didn’t deserve, the stats outweighed the result, possession, shots, XG, everything in United’s favour, but Forest don’t play percentages, they don’t play keep ball for the sake of playing keep ball, they play to score, and when they do, they’ll sit back and say ‘come and have a go if you think you’re good enough’.

Anyone who watched the game will see that United ‘never’ really posed Forest problems, a fifth minute strike was always enough, and it’s not the first time Forest have been good enough to win 1-0, City, Liverpool, Spurs, now United as well as Ipswich and Crystal Palace have all suffered similar fate.

But it wasn’t without concern, Forest without Chris Wood of course, were also without Callum Hudson-Odoi due to personal matters, whilst early in the game Ola Aina went off with injury, whilst his replacement Alex Moreno suffered suspension ahead of the weekend, the Reds go to Villa, a tough ask, likely without some key men.

But pass that task, the Reds have real opportunity now to make Champions League football, with just eight games remaining they have a nine point cushion, then there’s a trip to Wembley of course.

Forest face Manchester City in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, win that it will be a first appearance in the world’s oldest KO competition final since 1991, back in those days under the great Brian Clough, Forest were feared amongst the best in the land, oh how history is starting to repeat itself.

Forest: Sels, Aina (Moreno 39), Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Yates, Anderson (Dominguez 67), Elanga (Sosa 85), Gibbs-White, Danilo (Morato 40), Awoniyi (Sangare 86).

*Article provided by Daniel Peacock (Editor).

*Main image @NFFC Anthony Elanga scored the winner against his old club.