Man Utd lost their ninth Premier League match this season, 1-2 against hosts Nottingham Forest in round 20.
Both of Man Utd's goals came in the same scenario, with no player closing in and allowing the opponent to shoot with plenty of space in the middle. Midfielder Scott McTominay was at fault in both situations, causing the "Red Devils" to extend their winless streak away from home to five matches.
Midfielder Nicolas Dominguez (No. 16) opened the scoring for Nottingham against Man Utd, at City Ground, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, round 20 of the Premier League on the evening of December 30, 2023. Photo: Reuters
Nottingham were 16th in the Premier League before this game, but they have shown signs of improvement under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo. He is known for his tight style of play, which resulted in a lacklustre first half. But the second half was more entertaining, starting with Diogo Dalot's shot from outside the box bouncing off the post.
The rain was pouring down, but the match heated up with a controversial foul by striker Morgan Gibbs-White. He slid into the legs of two Man Utd players, but the referee only showed a yellow card to the Nottingham player, then gave another to Diogo Dalot for his reaction.
Not being allowed to play with an extra man, Man Utd conceded first in the 64th minute, from a situation where Marcus Rashford was being taken care of off the field, leaving them with only 10 men. Taking advantage of this, home defender Gonzalo Montiel escaped down the right armpit, then passed to midfielder Nicolas Dominguez who easily placed the ball in the far corner while goalkeeper Andre Onana stood still watching the ball fly into the net. McTominay was also busy watching the ball, not running back to stop Dominguez from shooting.
After conceding the goal, Man Utd increased their attack tempo, and Alejandro Garnacho's efforts helped the visitors score. The 19-year-old midfielder dodged and intercepted a low pass from goalkeeper Matt Turner, drove the ball into the penalty area and then passed it conveniently to Rashford, who curled it into the far corner to tie the score at 1-1.
Turner slapped himself on the head for the mistake, but just four minutes later he made up for it. Christian Eriksen's long-range shot was cleared by the American goalkeeper, who dived to push the ball away, allowing Nottingham to counterattack. Former Man Utd player Anthony Elanga received the ball on the right, crossed to Gibbs-White with a wide angle and an unmarked shot from about 17 metres away. The controversial player curled the ball into the near corner, leaving Onana unable to save it.
Coach Erik ten Hag was helpless as Man Utd lost their ninth match in the Premier League. Photo: Reuters
In both goals conceded, coach Erik ten Hag shook his head in frustration because his opponent had finished in such an easy position. In the stands, former coach Alex Ferguson and INEOS sporting director Dave Brailsford looked frustrated. It is clear that Brailsford still has a lot of work to do to help billionaire Jim Ratcliffe change Man Utd. Therefore, with recent poor results, the Dutch coach could lose his job at any time.
Xuan Binh
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