Nottingham Forest took another step towards Champions League qualification after beating Man United 1-0 on Tuesday night.
2024/2025 Premier League
1-0
Match Report
Having booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a penalty shoot-out victory over Brighton on Saturday, Nuno Espirito Santo's men took another big step towards Champions League qualification on Tuesday.
It was a trademark counter-attacking goal after just five minutes that proved decisive. After a Bruno Fernandes corner was cleared, Elanga carried the ball from deep inside his own half to the United penalty area, then stroked his finish into the bottom-right corner.
Casemiro nodded wide from another corner as United sought a response, with Diogo Dalot's glancing header then bouncing off the bar from a third Fernandes set-piece.
United continued to dominate proceedings after half-time without carving out clear-cut opportunities, leading them to introduce Harry Maguire as an auxiliary striker late on.
And after fellow substitute Mason Mount had curled wide from his first involvement, Maguire saw two golden chances fall his way.
He diverted Patrick Dorgu's dangerous cross away from goal with an awkward header, then deep into stoppage time, he was denied by a heroic goal-line clearance from Murillo.
While United stay 13th in the table, the victory takes third-placed Forest eight points clear of Chelsea and nine above Manchester City, both of whom are yet to play this week.
Data debrief: Elanga haunts wasteful visitors
Along with Brighton's Danny Welbeck, Elanga is the second player to score a Premier League goal against United this season having previously represented them in the competition.
It is the third time two former Red Devils have scored against them in the same Premier League campaign, after 1997-98 (Mark Hughes, Dion Dublin) and 2020-21 (Wilfried Zaha, Welbeck).
But United only had themselves to blame after failing to convert with any of their 24 shots – their most in any Premier League game without scoring since September 2021 against Aston Villa (28).
It is also their joint-most on record (from 2003-04) in an away game without scoring in the competition (also 24 at West Ham in December 2006, and at Portsmouth in both April 2004 and October 2004).
Forest, meanwhile, have kept 13 clean sheets in the Premier League this campaign, more than any other side and their joint-most in any season in the competition (also 1994-95).
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
5' GOAL! Elanga scores against his former club! Nottingham Forest 1-0 Man Utd
17' Match Event for Nottingham Forest vs Man Utd
27' CLOSE! Dalot's header hits the bar from Bruno's corner
41' Bruno and Yates have some conflicts on the pitch
46' A change for Man United at the break as Rasmus Hojlund comes on for Ugarte
47' Hojlund shoots from a tight angle and it is deflected behind for a corner
49' Casemiro slides in and catches Yates with the Brazilian shown a yellow card
50' Casemiro unleashes an effort from 30 yards as it flies miles wide
51' Gibbs-White has a shooting chance for the home side, but can't hit the target
58' CLOSE! Garnacho cuts inside but he zips over the top
66' Highlight from Nottingham Forest vs Man Utd
69' Highlight from Nottingham Forest vs Man Utd
70' Garnacho's strike at goal is a bit wild
72' Neco Williams flinging himself at the ball to get the block on Garnacho
77' Zirkzee goes off for Mount, who had injury problems since joining United
80' CLOSE! Mount tries to curl it into the corner but sees his strike go just wide
85' Anthony Elanga is replaced by Ibrahim Sangare
87' Harry Maguire is on for the last few minutes, replacing Leny Yoro
Line-ups
Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Taiwo Awoniyi, Elliot Anderson, Milenkovic, Gibbs-White, Ryan Yates, Neco Williams, Anthony Elanga, Danilo, Murillo
Subs: Boly, Álex Moreno, Harry Toffolo, Sangare, Dominguez, Jota Silva, Carlos Miguel, Morato, Ramón Sosa
Man Utd XI: Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Dalot, Ugarte, Zirkzee, Garnacho, Yoro, Patrick Dorgu
Subs: Eriksen, Lindelof, Maguire, Mount, Altay Bayındır, Højlund, Collyer, Sékou Koné, Harry Amass