Nottingham Forest Secure Historic Win At Old Trafford.
Nottingham Forest stunned Manchester United with a 3-2 victory, marking their first triumph at Old Trafford in nearly 30 years. Defensive lapses by the home side proved costly, allowing Forest to capitalise and climb to fifth place in the Premier League.
Rasmus Højlund briefly levelled the score after Nikola Milenković’s early opener, but Forest took control early in the second half, scoring twice in quick succession. The first of these came when Morgan Gibbs-White’s low drive deceived United goalkeeper André Onana, who misjudged the shot’s trajectory. Moments later, Chris Wood’s looping header was allowed to bounce between Onana, Matthijs de Ligt, and Lisandro Martínez, finding the net despite their collective hesitation.
Bruno Fernandes pulled one back for United on the hour mark, but Ruben Amorim’s side failed to find an equaliser despite a flurry of substitutions. The result leaves United languishing in 13th place, with their tally of 19 points from 15 games their lowest at this stage of a season since 1986-87.
Chris Wood celebrated his 33rd birthday in style, becoming Forest’s all-time leading Premier League scorer with his 25th goal in the competition. The New Zealand international has thrived under manager Nuno Espírito Santo, scoring 21 times in 31 league appearances under the Portuguese coach.
Wood’s season has been exceptional, with only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland ahead of him in the Premier League scoring charts. Reflecting on his striker’s form, Espírito Santo said, “He’s doing amazing. We’re so glad to have him. It’s never too late.”
United’s defensive struggles were on full display. Onana, De Ligt, and Martínez all failed to deal with the critical moments that led to Forest’s goals. Manager Amorim, who has managed just one win in four league matches since taking charge, was visibly frustrated by his side’s inability to defend set-pieces effectively.
Forest’s opener, a simple header from a corner, mirrored United’s midweek struggles against Arsenal. Meanwhile, Onana’s misjudgement for the second goal was described as “inexplicable” and is likely to draw heavy scrutiny.
The defeat leaves United searching for answers as they face mounting pressure in a challenging season. For Forest, however, the victory was a moment of celebration, with their travelling fans relishing a long-overdue success at Old Trafford.
While Nottingham Forest have rediscovered form with this victory, Manchester United must address their defensive shortcomings quickly. Amorim’s side have now suffered back-to-back league defeats, and their hopes of climbing the table are fading without urgent improvements.
For Forest, the result reinforces their status as one of the Premier League’s in-form teams, with Chris Wood leading the charge in what is shaping up to be a memorable season for the East Midlands club.
