Fernandes penalty caps United recovery from calamitous start
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game during the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire.
A Bruno Fernandes penalty clinched a dramatic victory for Manchester United that finally gave the club’s supporters something to cheer at the end of a trying week.
After controversy over the handling of the Mason Greenwood affair and continued protest against the Glazer family, United were behind after just four minutes.
But goals from Christian Eriksen and Casemiro brought Erik ten Hag’s team level and Joe Worrall’s straight red on 66 minutes, for tripping Fernandes, proved pivotal.
Ten minutes later, Danilo tripped Marcus Rashford on his way into the Forest area and Fernandes scored with a clinically-converted penalty.
It was a far cry from the chaos of the opening few moments at Old Trafford in which Forest, winners just once on their travels last season, sniffed an upset.
Their first, after a little over 80 seconds, came with the added insult of arriving directly from a United corner, taken by Fernandes and cleared by Brennan Johnson.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka appeared to lose the ball in the sunlight, made no effort to challenge Morgan Gibbs-White who headed on, setting off a thrilling foot race over half the length of the field between Taiwo Awoniyi and Rashford.
Awoniyi, ball at his feet, held off the accelerating Rashford and pushed the ball past Andre Onana in the United goal, just as the striker made a despairing challenge.
Forest fans had more cause for celebration just moments later, when Gibbs-White delivered a dangerous free-kick into the six-yard area, which Lisandro Martinez or Wan-Bissaka looked favourite to clear, only for the ball to reach Willy Boly, seemingly striking the Forest defender in the face on its way into the goal.
But at least ten Hag saw a strong response from his side and a quick goal.
In the sodden conditions, United had identified visiting keeper Matt Turner as susceptible to the long shot and one of them, a Bruno Fernandes effort from 25-plus yards, was duly spilled by him on 17 minutes.
Anthony Martial laid the loose ball back to Marcus Rashford who drove, with conviction for the by-line, and produced a cross which was turned in neatly at close range by Christian Eriksen.
Casemiro should have equalised, missing a close-range header before the break, but early in the second half United were level through a brilliantly-worked free-kick.
With the Forest penalty area packed, Fernandes squared a pass for Rashford whose deft lob found the taker inside the six-yard area. Fernandes headed across goal and Casemiro chested the ball before volleying into the net from close range.
Onana 7; Wan-Bissaka 5, Varane 6 (Lindelof 45, 7), Martinez 6, Dalot 5; Casemiro 7, Eriksen 7; Antony 8, Fernandes 9, Rashford 7; Martial 5 (Sancho 60).
Henderson, Maguire, Sancho, Pellistri, McTominay, Fernandez, Gore, Garnacho.
Turner 5; Boly 7, Worrall 5, McKenna 5 (Niakhate 56, 6); Aurier 5, Danilo 6, Yates 6, Aina 6; Johnson 6, Gibbs-White 8; Awoniyi 7.
Horvath, Williams, Kouyate, Wood, Elanga, Freuler, Montiel, Uj-jo.
S Attwell 7
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