Man Utd stay on track for top-four finish with win at Forest

The visitors could have made it a lot more comfortable than their two-goal victory. 

Manchester United's Diogo Dalot, right, celebrates with Anthony after scoring his side's second goal against Nottingham Forest. Picture: AP Photo/Rui Vieira

Nottingham Forest 0 

Man United 2 

Antony and Diogo Dalot scored the goals that kept Manchester United firmly on course for a top four finish but, not for the first time this season, Erik ten Hag saw is side miss a host of chances.

The win at relegation-threatened Forest should have been far more comfortable and it needed Anthony’s first league goal since October, and Dalot’s first ever, to lift United three points above Newcastle and six clear of Tottenham.

United deserved their half-time lead, delivered by Antony on 32 minutes, although, true to recent form, it was to prove far from a routine win.

Marcel Sabitzer was injured in the warm-up, with Christian Eriksen thrown in to take his place, while Tyrell Malacia failed a late fitness test, as did Luke Shaw, meaning Dalot was, effectively, third-choice left-back for ten Hag.

Harry Maguire, also, collected a yellow card after just three minutes for a foul on Taiwo Awoniyi, to add to the defensive problems for United, already without Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.

Still, they were good value for that lead scored when Anthony Martial won an important challenge in midfield and Bruno Fernandes played a one-two with the Frenchman.

Martial advanced and, after his shot was well saved by Keylor Navas, Antony pounced on the rebound to tap in his first league goal in six months.

It was needed, as ten Hag and United looked to put behind them the fall-out from conceding two goals and only drawing with Sevilla in the Europa League in midweek.

Jadon Sancho might have given them a dream start after 46 seconds but his shot was blocked by Felipe and an Owiniyi shot suffered a similar fate soon after at the other end.

Scott McKenna would later head against the United post, as the visitors struggled to cope with set-pieces, although his effort seemed to strike his arm. And there were a couple of hopeful Forest penalty appeals for handball.

But by far the better chances came from the top-four hopefuls, with Navas saving brilliantly from the dangerous Fernandes on 17 minutes and the Portuguese playmaker heading a disappointing effort wide from just 10 yards in first half injury-time.

Fernandes, who is suspended for United’s second leg trip to Sevilla in midweek, continued to dominate after the restart, with Navas making a superb save to turn his powerful shot onto the bar early in the half.

The former Real Madrid keeper was equally alert on the hour, diving to the foot of his post to keep out another opportunist effort from Fernandes.

Martial should have handed United a much-needed cushion on 70 minutes, heading wide from a glorious position from Casemiro’s cross.

The miss added to United’s anxieties, especially when Felipe headed over from point-blank range from a corner moments later.

Finally, Dalot eased those concerns on 76 minutes with a beautifully-worked second goal that had been such a frustratingly long time in coming.

Anthony carved it out after darting into midfield and slipping through a perfect reverse ball for the left-back who surged through and finally beat Navas from eight yards.

Nottingham Forest (3-4-1-2): Navas 8; Felipe 7, Niakhate 6, McKenna 6 (Dennis 80); N Williams 5, Freuler 5 (Mangala 65, 5), Danilo 5, Lodi 6; Gibbs-White 5 (Lingard 87); Johnson 5, Awoniyi 7 (Surridge 65, 5). Substitutes (not used) Worrall, Shelvey, Hennessey, Toffolo, Ayew.

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea 6; Wan-Bissaka 6, Maguire 6, Lindelof 7, Dalot 7; Casemiro 6, Eriksen 8 (Fred 78, 5); Antony 7, Fernandes 9, Sancho 5; Martial 6 (Weghorst 71, 5). Substitutes (not used) Pellistri, Bishop, Butland, B Williams, Elanga, Iqbal, Gomez.

Referee: S Hooper 6