Manchester United go third with win over Nottingham Forest in Premier League
Manchester United continued their push for Champions League qualification with a 2-0 victory over strugglers Nottingham Forest in the Premier League at the City Ground.
The result puts Erik ten Hag’s side third, six points clear of Tottenham Hotspur in fifth and three ahead of Newcastle United in fourth.
Forest remain in the Premier League relegation places and are 18th, level on points with Everton in 17th but with a worse goal difference.
‘Solid’ Manchester United performance
Antony put the visitors ahead in the 32nd minute when the 23-year-old winger netted a loose ball before Diogo Dalot got United’s second, and his first Premier League goal in what was his 100th appearance in all competitions for the club, in the 76th minute after he finished a chance magnificently created by fellow goal scorer Antony.
Ten Hag described the result as a “solid win” and spoke of his side as “really focused and concentrated from start to finish”.
“Very good [defensively], a really solid performance from all on the pitch today,” he added. “[The] centre-backs had great cooperation, full-backs were brilliant in and out of possession. Harry [Maguire] and Victor [Lindelof] dominated their opponents.”
But the side didn’t have it all their own way with Austria international Marcel Sabitzer pulling out of the match in the warm-up with a groin injury – he was replaced by Christian Eriksen. “Sabitzer came off in the warm up, he felt something,” Ten Hag added. “We decided not to take the risk. But when you have Eriksen on the bench, it is definitely not a disadvantage.”
Forest manager Steve Cooper, who has been under pressure but backed by club owner Evangelos Marinakis, said: “We know that we have to turn the performances into results. There is a lot of scrutiny on us due to our league position and the time of the season that it is. But the situation is the situation.”