Man Utd’s erratic form continued this season when Ten Hag’s team lost 1-2 at Nottingham Forest in round 20 of the Premier League.
In midweek, Man Utd had an impressive comeback against Aston Villa, winning 3-2. It was thought that it was a fulcrum for Ten Hag’s team to regain stable form, but once again this season, Man Utd was unstable after an impressive match. The “Red Devils” played poorly against Nottingham Forest and had to suffer a 1-2 defeat at the City Ground in round 20 of the Premier League.
Going into the match at City Ground, Nottingham tried to play offensively, the home team needed points to compete for relegation. The playing attitude of Nuno Santo’s students is very positive. Although Nottingham did not control the ball more than Man Utd, they outperformed the away team in terms of scoring opportunities.
Nottingham’s shots in the first 45 minutes did not really pose a danger to Onana’s goal, but overall it was still better than Man Utd.
The “Red Devils” seemed to sleep in the first 45 minutes. On a day when the trio of Rashford, Antony and Garnacho were placed together, they did not have good cohesion and only had one shot in the first half.
The home team’s attacking efforts paid off in the 62nd minute. Nottingham players coordinated from the right edge to the inside. Dominguez received the ball at the top of the penalty area in an unmarked position and comfortably finished it. The ball went into the left corner of the goal, causing Onana to stand still and watch.
Man Utd tried to recover from the defeat, but the away team’s attack was not impressive. In the 78th minute, goalkeeper Turner made a serious mistake by passing the ball too lightly, allowing Garnacho to successfully cut the ball. The Argentine player passed the ball to Rashford and Man Utd’s number 10 cushioned the ball and sent it diagonally to score a 1-1 equalizer.
Rushing to attack looking for more goals, Man Utd quickly suffered a counterattack. In the 82nd minute, Gibbs-White curled a shot from close to the penalty area and sent the ball spinning to the right. Onana flew but could not block it. Once again, Man Utd’s defense system had problems when the away team’s midfielders let the opponent’s second line dominate.
The second time they took the lead, Nottingham played firmly and successfully defended the 2-1 score. This is the second consecutive victory for the home team at City Ground under new coach Nuno Santo. Nottingham has 20 points, ranked 15th, 5 points above the relegation group.
After round 20, Man Utd still only has 31 points, ranked 7th. It is possible that Man Utd will drop to 9th if Brighton and Newcastle win the match.