Manchester United 3-2 Nottingham Forest: What Were The Key Talking Points As United Mount A Stellar Comeback At Old Trafford?

Mounting what was a remarkable comeback at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, Manchester United eventually claimed a thrilling 3-2 victory against Nottingham Forest.

Watching Steve Cooper’s men silence the home support as Taiwo Awoniyi and Wily Boly stormed Forest into a stunning 2-0 lead with just five minutes on the clock, it appeared that the Red Devils were set to face even more scrutiny.

However, although United might have been far from at their best on Saturday afternoon, they will undoubtedly steal all of the headlines following their remarkable comeback.

With Christian Eriksen halving the deficit midway through the first-half, ten Hag’s men eventually found some fluidity after returning from the interval.

Watching Casemiro open his account for the season and level the scoreline just seven minutes after the break, it was then United’s skipper who dragged them to a rollercoaster victory at Old Trafford.

With Bruno Fernandes converting from the spot and eventually helping ten Hag’s side secure back-to-back wins on home soil, United are still seeking some much-needed stability.

Although Forest might have certainly impressed after flying out of the traps here, last season’s relegation scrappers will be more than aware that his side missed out on a golden opportunity to spring a major Premier League upset away from the City Ground.

Suffering a second-half collapse and not helped as skipper Joe Worrall was shown a straight red card 22 minutes after returning from the break, Forest will have to dust themselves down quickly.

Following an action-packed afternoon at Old Trafford, we have taken a look at the key talking points from Saturday’s showdown.

United just about extend on their rampant record at Old Trafford

Clinching what was a much-needed Champions League return last season and also ending their six-year wait to lift a piece of silverware, a huge part of Manchester United’s success was down to their performances on home soil.

Opening the 2023/24 campaign with a hugely controversial 1-0 victory at home against Wolves earlier in the month, ten Hag’s side were seeking a far more routine display here.

While the Red Devils might have certainly gone about things the hard away on Saturday afternoon, United have continued to gain a reputation for their remarkable purple at Old Trafford.

In fact, along with suffering just a single Premier League defeat in front of their own supporters last season, ten Hag’s men have lost just a sole Premier League showdown in the red half of Manchester over the past 20 months.

Ten Hag remains desperate for stability

While ten Hag might have been hugely relieved as his side mounted a stellar second-half comeback here, the former Ajax boss will be more than aware that plenty of work still needs to be done both on and off the pitch.

Coming under a huge amount of scrutiny last weekend as they slumped to a deserved 2-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham, Manchester United certainly had plenty of pressure on their shoulders on Saturday afternoon.

With many fans around Old Trafford left feeling underwhelmed due to United’s business during the summer transfer window, it still appears that the former Premier League champions are a million miles off mounting a genuine title charge.

Now shipping a pair of strikes in their back-to-back appearances over the past week, ten Hag is still waiting for his squad to produce a polished performance since opening up the 2023/24 campaign.

With attacking talisman and last season’s record-breaker Marcus Rashford also still waiting to open his account, ten Hag will be desperate to add some reinforcements before the transfer window slams shut on September 1st.

Forest will know that they missed out on a golden chance

Firmly at the heart of a relegation scrap last season after making their Premier League return, Nottingham Forest are simply hoping for smoother sailing this time around.

Picking up their first victory of the season last weekend as they snatched a last-gasp 2-1 win against Sheffield United, Cooper’s men certainly laid down a shocker early marker here.

However, after breezing their way to a remarkable 2-0 lead in the opening five minutes on Saturday afternoon, the former Swansea boss will know that his side eventually missed out on a golden opportunity in the red half of Manchester.

Sat firmly in the driving seat and on course to what would have been a famous Premier League upset at Old Trafford, Forest have certainly gained a continued reputation for their struggles away from the City Ground.

Suffering a major second-half collapse here and now losing two of their opening three top-flight appearances, Saturday’s guests have remarkably recorded just a single away victory since making their Premier League return this season.

While Cooper might know that easier tests await on either side of the international break, Forest will undeniably still be feeling heartbroken.

Match Report

Manchester United: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Dalot, Casemiro, Eriksen, Antony, Fernandes, Rashford, Martial

Subs: Lindelof, McTominay, Sancho

Nottingham Forest: Turner, Boly, Worrall, McKenna, Aina, Danilo, Yates, Aurier, Johnson, Gibbs-White, Aqoniyi

Subs: Elanga, Kouyatem Niakkhate, Wood

Goals: Manchester United: Eriksen (17’), Casemiro (52’), Fernandes (76’ P) – Nottingham Forest: Awoniyi (2’), Boly (4’)

Yellow Cards: Manchester United: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Rashford, Fernandes – Nottingham Forest: Aina, Kouyate, Aurier, Gibbs-White

Red Cards: Worrall (67’)

Referee: Stuart Attwell