video goals:Manchester UnitedScore-Nottingham Forest- Played on 12/27/2022
Manchester United approached the qualifying places for the Champions League, by defeating its guest Nottingham Forest 3-0 on Tuesday evening, within the 17th round of the English Premier League.
United’s goals were scored by Marcus Rashford (19), Anthony Martial (22), and Fred (87).
Manchester United’s balance rose to 29 points in fifth place, a point behind fourth Tottenham, while Nottingham Forest’s balance froze at 13 points in penultimate 19th place.
Manchester United coach Eric Ten Hag relied on the 4-2-3-1 method of play, where Luke Shaw occupied one of the poles of the depth of defense alongside Raphael Varane, with the support of the full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Terel Malacia, and Christian Eriksen cooperated with Casemiro in the midfield and moved Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Anthony, behind striker Martial.
On the other hand, Nottingham coach Steve Cooper resorted to the 4-3-3 method of play, with the back line composed of Serge Aurier, Joe Worrall, Willy Boly, and Renan Lodi.
Remo Frawler played the role of the pivot player, leaving Ryan Yates and Uriel Mangala around him, behind the attacking trio of Brennan Johnson, Taiwo Owunii, and Jesse Lingard.
Manchester United seemed dangerous from the start, and Wan Bissaka sent a cross, followed by Rashford with a shot, which rebounded to Malacia, who hit the ball tightly, but Welsh goalkeeper Wayne Hennessy blocked it brilliantly in the sixth minute.
Manchester United’s pressure resulted in the goal of progress in the 19th minute when Eriksen cleverly executed a free kick towards Rashford, fleeing from control, and the latter hit with one touch, a powerful ball that hit the net.
United soon added the second goal in the 22nd minute, from a counterattack, after which Rashford passed the ball towards Martial, who treated it with a creeping shot to the right of the goalkeeper.
Any made his way toward the Manchester United stadium before the ball settled in front of Yates, who directed a shot that was saved by Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea in the 32nd minute.
And the Brazilian winger Anthony penetrated from the right wing, before hitting a ball with his right hand over the guest team’s goal in the 38th minute.
And the referee, with the help of video technology, canceled a goal scored by Yates for Nottingham Forest, due to the presence of offside in the process of building the goal in the 43rd minute.
A cross from Fernandez almost caught goalkeeper Hennessey by surprise, but fortunately for him, she hit the net from outside in the 48th minute.
Lingard was injured from the Nottingham squad, to be replaced by Louis O’Brien, and Rashford passed an elegant ball to Fernandez, who set it up for Anthony, but the Brazilian winger’s shot landed in the hands of Hennessy in the 56th minute.
Malacia deceived Nottingham’s defense and left the ball to Fernandez, who in turn brought it to Martial, but Hennessey blocked the latter’s near miss in the 60th minute.
Donny van de Beek and Alejandro Garnacho entered the United squad, and the latter got the ball on the left side, to pass to the first, who sent it towards Rashford, but the goalkeeper came back again with an amazing save in the 67th minute.
As time passed, Harry Maguire and Fred entered the United squad, and Fernandez tried to take advantage of Hennessey’s lead with a shot from the middle of the field, which settled over the net in the 75th minute.
United managed to score the third goal in the 87th minute, when Fred met Casemiro’s perfect pass, with one touch out of Hennessey’s reach, while the match did not bring anything new in the remaining minutes, to settle United’s victory by three goals.
