Fred celebrates after scoring the third goal against Nottingham Forest. Photograph: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty ImagesUnited’s No 10 may be in the form of his career – as his next act further evidenced. This time he turned creator, sliding a crafty pass to Martial who, from range, pulled the trigger. Hennessey dived low and right and spilled the ball over the line for five in nine appearances for the No 9. Rashford was rampant. A bullocking run drew a yellow card, before a backheel, a feathered touch, and an incisive charge that cast Renan Lodi as amateurish were further dashes of menace.
The sequence appeared likely to end from the moment United began rolling the ball about. Rashford, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes and Aaron Wan-Bissaka spun Forest out of position and went close to scoring after Christian Eriksen joined them. A prevailing criticism of United in the past decade has been how they are pre-eminently a counterattacking proposition and so another Rashford-Wan-Bissaka pattern that again had the latter pinging over – towards Martial – offered further encouragement. The opener came from a corner on the right. Eriksen’s delivery – rolled along the turf – came out of the coaches’ playbook and there was Rashford to hammer home for a fifth in the competition.
What channel is Nottingham Forest vs Man Utd? Kick-off time
The visitors never looked like mounting a comeback, with United putting the seal on a impressive display as substitute Fred netted a late third, completing a victory that moves the fifth-placed hosts one point off the top four, while also boasting a game in hand on Tottenham. Forest stay 19th afer a fairly feeble display at the Theatre of Dreams. Live updates1672178447Full match report: Marcus Rashford and Casemiro lead Champions League pushBefore Manchester United’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, Erik ten Hag confirmed the club’s January pursuit of a striker.
1672177592GOAL! Man United 3-0 Nottingham Forest | Fred ‘8686:00 - Casemiro wins the ball back and frees Fred, who fires home. 1672176956Brilliant play from Garnacho76:00 - The youngster beats his man with ease and crosses for Rashford, who was caught on his toes. 1672176802CHANCE FOR MAN UNITED! 72:00 - Fernandes goes for the spectacular with a lob from just inside the Forest half but it floats just over the bar. 1672176616CHANCE FOR FOREST! 69:00 - Johnson goes for a backheel and De Gea blocks before the Spaniard collects Surridge’s follow-up.
Man United vs Nottingham Forest: Premier League - LIVE! Rashford, who scored three times for England at the World Cup in Qatar, set United on their way to victory with a well-placed finish from a corner in the 19th minute, before Anthony Martial doubled the hosts’ lead three minutes later. Forest thought they had got back into the match midway through the first half, but Willy Boly’s goal from a free kick was ruled out for offside.
Of this first post-World Cup Premier League outing Ten Hag said: “You always question yourself after a break what will be the restart – the back four never played together and a player who never played in a centre-back position … and if you win three, concede no goal, you are happy with the performance. ”Luke Shaw lined up to partner the excellent Raphaël Varane versus a Forest side who had won their past three matches (two in the League Cup): their finest run of the campaign.
Rashford outstanding in Manchester United’s cruise past Nottingham ForestManchester United were faster, sharper, smarter, and classier than Nottingham Forest in this seventh straight win over their visitors. This was approaching the complete performance: a blend of measured attacking and rapid breaks and the constant harrying of an opponent who ended exhausted and demoralised. Given United had scored only 20 Premier League goals at kickoff and there is limited finance in January to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, a strike apiece from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial before Fred’s late clincher was as fine a tonic as the three points which keep them on the heels of Tottenham. Freedom is one more word to describe how, 23 years after United spanked Forest 8-1 at the City Ground (Ole Gunnar Solskjær scoring four in 10 minutes), this Erik ten Hag side applied a similar schooling on what was, for most of the contest, a classic rain-lashed Mancunian night.
In Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, however, the United boss at least has players capable of keeping their Champions League push alive. Rashford returned from a prolific World Cup with a brilliant goal to open the scoring in a move straight out of Carrington. Christian Eriksen drove a low corner into the England international’s path, who latched onto it with aplomb after easily evading the traffic desperately defending the box. Read our full match report here! Getty Images1672178088FT: Man United 3-0 Nottingham ForestA routine win for United thanks to goals from Rashford, Martial and Fred.
Rashford stars, Manchester United wins in downpour