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By IAN LADYMAN Published: 08: 01 AEDT, 2 April 2025 | Updated: 11: 33 AEDT, 2 April 2025 62 View comments When does a result like this stop feeling like a surprise? This was third against 13th in the Premier League and the team with all the points and all the credit in the bank were playing at home. Already this season, Liverpool and Arsenal had come here and failed to win. Manchester City, the champions, had lost. Still, though, the change in football’s order of things feels strange. Nottingham Forest beating Manchester United still feels big and that’s because it is. Forest’s journey up the ladder remains an underdog story — a tale of unity and collectivism trumping individualism — and here it was played out in all its marvellous sporting glory once again. Forest are a good side. We know that. But they still have to work devilishly hard for every single point they get, especially on nights like this. And that is why — moments after their defender Murillo had cleared Harry Maguire’s shot from the line in the 96th minute — at least three of their players fell to the floor on hearing the referee’s final whistle. Nottingham Forest beat Manchester United 1-0 to take them closer to the Champions League Anthony Elanga's stunning goal in the fifth minute against his former club was the difference Forest are now nine points clear of fifth place Man City as their dream campaign continues  Ahead after Anthony Elanga’s fabulous length-of-the-field goal in just the fifth minute, Forest must have felt every one of Saturday’s 120 FA Cup minutes in their legs as they hung on towards the end of another magical night by the Trent. United were better than they have been at times this season. Ruben Amorim’s team were a little more cohesive. But you have to be better than that — you have to bring more than that — to beat Nuno Espirito Santo’s side on their own ground and ultimately United didn’t quite have it. Statistics can be misleading in football but the key ones around Elanga’s goal were not. The former United player ran 85 metres in nine seconds in bursting upfield to give Forest the lead in the fifth minute. It was a startling run and a superb finish and, put together, added up to one of the goals of the season. The City Ground has witnessed much that has been special this campaign and this goal was right up there with the best of it. United and their manager will doubtless be irritated that the goal came straight from their own corner kick and the fact it almost happened again — with Morgan Gibbs-White the ball carrier this time — later in the half suggested they maybe hadn’t learned their lesson. Nevertheless, Elanga was rapid as he drove from within his own half to leave players flailing behind him and panicking in front of him. Alejandro Garnacho — no slouch himself — was closest to getting him as he lunged from behind. The United central defenders, meanwhile, didn’t know whether to stick or twist as Elanga had players joining him on the overlap. United had much of the play but squandered several openings and couldn't find a way through  Harry Maguire missed a huge chance in added time after coming on as an emergency striker Forest also defended brilliantly as they picked up their 13th clean sheet of the season It was a frustrating evening for Ruben Amorim, whose side were caught on the counter early on In the end, as Noussair Mazraoui decided to back off, Elanga reached the edge of the penalty area and shot low to Andre Onana’s left into the bottom corner. Once again this famous old stadium on the banks of the Trent was alive. United were shaken but they stirred themselves. It’s early days but there does seem to be a little more substance to them under Amorim at the moment. There has finally been a little improvement. Here, the visiting team managed to get hold of some possession and passed the ball reasonably well through the Forest press at times. There was some cohesion about them that has been lacking on so many occasions since Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag. United were still behind at half-time, though. Bruno Fernandes — engaged in a running battle with Forest captain Ryan Yates — brought a low save from Matz Sels and headed a Diogo Dalot cross into the goalkeeper’s midriff. Then Casemiro headed wide from a corner before Dalot himself met another set-piece with a looping header against the bar. Matthijs de Ligt followed up at the far post but his shot was not powerful enough to really trouble the goalkeeper. Forest had a surprising amount of energy after their extra-time FA Cup win at Brighton on Saturday and were typically dangerous on the counter. When they got on to the United back-three, they looked dangerous. It was United who had most of the ball, though. That trend didn’t initially continue into the second half. Forest emerged with renewed intent while United were slow, sloppy and wasteful. It was a feisty evening at the City Ground as both sides left everything out on the pitch Elanga, who joined Forest from United for £15m in July 2023, put in a stunning performance Nuno Espirito Santo's side continue to upset the odds and took another scalp on Tuesday What’s more, they allowed themselves to be drawn increasingly into a midfield scrap with Forest. It was one they were on the wrong end of for too long. Onana made a super low save from a Yates header in the 48th minute — though the Forest man may have been offside — before Gibbs-White engineered space only to shoot over. Yates continued to be a nuisance. Casemiro fouled him brutally and seemed to be offended that the referee spotted it. The Brazilian was soon removed by his manager as the red mist refused to ascend. Then Yates clashed again with Fernandes and this time it was the player in red who was the aggressor. There was a terrific tempo to the game but United were not as composed as they had been. Garnacho was booked for kicking the ball away and then pulled a shot wide of the near post after the ball reached him from a corner. United were not short of endeavour and had two strikers on the field after Rasmus Hojlund’s half-time introduction for Manuel Ugarte. But what they lacked in the final third was real quality. Gibbs-White has plenty of that and he burst through with 15 minutes left only to stumble under pressure. The crowd appealed for a penalty but he did not. NOTTM FOREST (4-2-3-1): Sels 6. 5; Aina 6 (Moreno 39, 6), Milenkovic 7, Murillo 6. 5, Williams 6; Yates 7, Anderson 6. 5 (Dominguez 67, 6); Elanga 7. 5 (Sosa 86), Gibbs-White 7, Danilo 5 (Morato 40, 6); Awoniyi 6. 5 (Sangare 86).   Subs: Toffolo, Boly, Silva, Miguel Scorer: Elanga 5 Booked: Williams Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo 6. 5 MAN UTD (3-4-3): Onana 6. 5; Mazraoui 5. 5, De Ligt 7, Yoro 6. 5 (Maguire 88); Dalot 6. 5, Ugarte 5 (Hojlund 46, 6), Casemiro 6 (Eriksen 59, 6), Dorgu 6. 5; Garnacho 5. 5, Zirkzee 6 (Mount 78, 6), Fernandes 7.   Subs: Bayindir, Amass, Lindelof, Collyer, Kone. Booked: Casemiro, Garnacho, Eriksen Head coach: Ruben Amorim 6 Referee: Jarred Gillett 7 Att: 30, 249

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