Manchester United suffered a second straight Premier League defeat Saturday as Nottingham Forest secured a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford, adding pressure to manager Ruben Amorim’s challenging start.
Despite Rasmus Højlund’s equalizer canceling out Nikola Milenković’s early header, two second-half goals from Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood proved decisive. Bruno Fernandes struck late for United, but his effort was ultimately a consolation as Forest held on for their first win at Old Trafford in nearly 30 years.
The loss leaves United in 13th place, while Forest’s victory lifts them to fifth in the Premier League standings.
United conceded early when Milenković headed in a poorly defended corner just two minutes into the match. The home side regained control of possession and equalized through Højlund in the 18th minute, following a slick move involving Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte.
However, Forest regained the lead shortly after halftime. Gibbs-White’s low strike from distance eluded United goalkeeper André Onana, who misjudged the tame effort. Minutes later, Wood extended Forest’s advantage with a looping header, capitalizing on a defensive lapse from Lisandro Martínez and a hesitant Onana.
Fernandes reignited hope for the hosts with a precise long-range effort in the 61st minute, but the momentum faded after his surprising substitution in the final stages.
United’s struggles defending set pieces were again exposed. Milenković’s opening goal was the fifth header United have conceded this season, a troubling statistic matched only by relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Onana, who had been in stellar form before this match, endured a difficult evening. His errors directly contributed to two Forest goals, raising questions about the consistency of United’s backline and goalkeeper.
Amorim, in his fifth match as United manager, faces mounting challenges in rebuilding the squad. His deployment of Fernandes in a free-roaming role highlighted the captain’s creativity, but also underscored the team’s inconsistency. Fernandes’ late goal and overall influence were among the few bright spots in an otherwise frustrating performance.
With back-to-back defeats, Manchester United’s early-season struggles have left them far off the pace in the Premier League. Amorim will need to address defensive vulnerabilities and establish greater tactical cohesion to revive the team’s fortunes.
