Anthony Elanga's Spectacular Goal Leads Nottingham Forest to Victory Over Manchester United

Anthony Elanga stunned his former team with a thrilling solo goal, driving Nottingham Forest to a 1-0 triumph over Manchester United in Tuesday’s Premier League showdown.

Having transferred from Old Trafford to make room for the costly Antony, Elanga was fueled by a sense of determination on the City Ground pitch. Just five minutes into the game, he sprinted two-thirds of the way to score what would become the match-winning goal.

Diogo Dalot nearly altered the score with a header that struck the crossbar in the first half, while substitute Mason Mount narrowly missed a late effort. Nevertheless, Manchester United struggled to find their rhythm, lacking the offensive sharpness needed to turn this season around.

With this victory, Nottingham Forest continues an impressive campaign, securing third place under the guidance of Nuno Espirito Santo, eight points ahead of fourth-place Chelsea. Meanwhile, this first league loss in five drops United to 13th in the standings.

“We controlled the game, but knew this team could score from nothing,” acknowledged United’s manager Ruben Amorim in a TNT Sports interview. “After they scored, we switched things up but lacked the final pass to finish our chances. Without that, goals won’t come.”

After previously outperforming United at Old Trafford in December, Forest approached the match eager to achieve their first league double over United since the 1991-92 season under Brian Clough.

They set the tone early as Elanga capitalized on careless defending, marking Forest’s 23rd opening goal of a Premier League match this season—more than any other team has managed.

Conversely, Manchester United, alongside Leicester City, find themselves frequently conceding first in Premier League games. Despite introducing Rasmus Højlund in the second half—fresh from ending his goal drought against Leicester—United’s attacks remained ineffective.

Even Harry Maguire’s late appearance and a near-miss cleared off the line by Forest defender Murillo couldn’t change the outcome. Forest secured their position comfortably, inching closer to their first appearance in Europe’s premier club competition in 45 years.

“Suffering, hard work, belief, and teamwork, like clearing the ball off the line,” said Forest manager Nuno. “It was a challenging match, but pivotal for us.”

Manchester United suffered their 13th Premier League defeat, just one short of their all-time record in a single season set in 2023-24.