Manchester United defeats Nottingham Forest with goals from Dalot and Anthony .
Sometimes setbacks are just opportunities waiting to happen. When searching for a left-back after Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw joined Manchester United's growing list of injured players, Erik ten Hag fashioned a virtue out of necessity. Both figuratively and physically, step forward Diogo Dalot.
The Portuguese right-back not only neutralized Brennan Johnson, Nottingham Forest's main threat, but also stepped into central midfield whenever possible to support Casemiro, freeing up the belatedly recalled Christian Eriksen, who scored the game-winning goal 14 minutes from time to help United move up to third place.
They now have a six-point advantage over fifth-place Tottenham, whom they visit the following Thursday, and a game in hand. With Brighton standing in their way at Wembley on Sunday, they must now focus on trying to advance to the last four of the Europa League and the FA Cup final. Champions League qualifying is now firmly within their grasp. Nottingham Forest is still in the bottom-three after going 10 games without a victory.
Dalot scored his first Premier League goal in his sixth season with the club, and while they continue their quest for success across numerous fronts, neither he nor the United supporters who erupted in jubilant celebration behind that goal will forget it.
Keeping up his strong form, Antony will enable United to function without the injured Marcus Rashford, scored the first goal and made the second. Dalot, receiving Casemiro’s tight pass in the centre of midfield 14 minutes from time, in this fashionable inverted full-back position, clipped the ball forwards for Antony. Running on to take an exquisite return pass, he lifted his shot over Keylor Navas, but for whom Forest might have lost by a greater margin.
In place of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martnez, who both sustained injuries during Thursday's 2-2 home draw with Sevilla, Dalot was joined by Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelöf in a new-look back four. Christian Eriksen was then substituted for Marcel Sabitzer after he pulled up during the warmup.
You are aware that you must replace players when they go injured, but Ten Hag asserted: "We have more than 11 starters, and I believe we demonstrated that today. The players gave a pretty strong performance on the field.
Fernandes had played more deeply in the Europa League, when Sabitzer scored twice from the more attacking midfield role, but could have scored a hat-trick here in the 15 minutes either side of half-time alone, Navas tipping one brilliant shot against the crossbar. “I just said to Keylor – he only saved mine,” Fernandes quipped. “But the result is most important; we want to be in the Champions League next season. I want to get my goals, but team comes first.”
Maguire, playing on the right with Lindelöf on the left of this back-to-the-future central defence, ultimately performed creditably but was targeted by Forest initially.
The United skipper received a caution for dragging Forest's No. 9 Taiwo Awoniyi to the ground as he prepared to sprint out of his own half while making his first start in three months.
When a corner from Renan Lodi hit Maguire in the arm and Scott McKenna headed against the post from a Morgan Gibbs-White delivery from the opposite side, United avoided a VAR review.
However, with Eriksen back in the lineup alongside Casemiro and occasionally Dalot, United appeared to be in charge. Fernandes' shot was well-saved by Navas, and it was the Portuguese's through ball that resulted in the opening goal.
Danilo, distracted by Felipe, dithered deep inside his own half and Anthony Martial’s tackle invited Fernandes to play the perfect first-time pass. When Navas parried, Antony prodded home the rebound, for his eighth United goal this season.
Forest’s cautious shape against a side who had already beaten them three times this season, including the Carabao Cup semi-final, was understandable but it did invite United on to them.
No doubt Cooper was willing to take his chances on the counter-attack. Indeed, Forest could have equalised when Dalot’s heavy touch, when intercepting Gibbs-White’s intended pass for Johnson, offered Awoniyi a clear shot at goal. But he lifted his effort over the bar.
In Rashford's ongoing absence due to a groin injury, Martial performed admirably for a while before wearing down but missed the winner when unimpeded from Casemiro's cross before being replaced by Wout Wegorst.
Before he assisted Dalot in securing United's victory, Antony continued to display his energy, even going outside on to his right foot to force another excellent save from Navas.
Cooper will have to maintain his confidence when Forest, which is now in the bottom three on goal differential, plays Brighton and Liverpool. It is challenging, he remarked. I won't run away from what has been a terribly bad run. We are accepting responsibility for where we are, but it's evident that I must do more and that we must push on. try and find a better way.”
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