Nottingham Forest End 30-Year Wait with Win Over Man United

Nottingham Forest secured a historic 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, marking their first win there in nearly 30 years. Despite an early equalizer from Rasmus Hojlund after Nikola Milenkovic’s opener, United faltered defensively in the second half allowing Forest to capitalize on two quick goals within seven minutes. The first error came when United goalkeeper Andre Onana misjudged a shot from Morgan Gibbs-White, letting it slip past him to give Forest a 2-1 lead.

Minutes later, a lapse in communication between Onana and Matthijs de Ligt allowed Chris Wood to score with a looping header which bounced between the two defenders and past Lisandro Martinez. Despite a late goal from Bruno Fernandes in the 61st minute, United couldn’t find an equalizer, suffering their second consecutive Premier League defeat. Wood, who celebrated his 33rd birthday with a goal became Forest’s all-time leading Premier League scorer, surpassing Bryan Roy with his 25th goal.

The New Zealand forward has formed a strong relationship with manager Nuno Espirito Santo contributing 21 goals in just 31 appearances under him. His header was a significant moment as it exposed United’s defensive fragility, particularly from set pieces where they had previously struggled against Arsenal. For United, this defeat highlights significant concerns, especially with new manager Ruben Amorim, who has yet to find consistent success after four league matches in charge.

The loss also marked United’s worst points tally at this stage of the season since 1986-87 with their defense and Onana under heavy scrutiny for their role in the defeat. Nottingham Forest’s win lifted them to 5th in the standings while United’s struggles continue as they sit in mid-table.