Ruben Amorim marked a year as Manchester United manager with a hard-fought point, as his side surrendered the lead in a 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest.
On a day when United could have climbed as high as second in the Premier League, Casemiro gave the travelling Reds a deserved first-half jolt with a familiar headed effort.
But a quickfire brace from Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolo Savona following the break sent a partisan audience into delirium, with Sean Dyche keen to stamp his authority at the City Ground.
Amad restored parity late in the game with a stunning volley and saw a second cleared off the line in injury time, ensuring his team retained their recent unbeaten run to climb above Manchester City into fifth.
Manchester United made to work for a point against dogged Nottingham Forest
Winning breeds confidence, and a run of three consecutive victories led to a promising start for United, with several passages of calculated transitions settling any early nerves.
But Forest, a side devoid of any following a spell of six defeats from seven, stole momentum and earned the admiration of the home supporters during their opening quarter efforts.
Elliot Anderson’s future is the subject of intense speculation, with a move to Old Trafford a distinct possibility.
The 22-year-old was the starring feature for the home side during an impressive half-hour spell, as some of the press box suggested today was a dress rehearsal for the midfielder.
However, if Anderson was impressive with his work rate, Matheus Cunha was on another planet, covering every blade of grass and stomping his authority from back to front.
Say what you will about tactics, but Amorim’s transitional game plan was evident, with a piercing counter-attack marginally frustrated by miscues in multiple final balls.
Regardless, his side was not to be denied. The in-form Casemiro opened the scoring late in the first half with a cushioned header from a Bruno Fernandes corner kick.
Many in the City Ground felt aggrieved by the decision to award the set-piece. But what is a Manchester United fixture without some form of controversy, eh?
| First Half Statistics | Nottingham Forest | Manchester United |
| Possession | 44% | 56% |
| Total Shots | 7 | 5 |
| Goalkeeper Saves | 1 | 1 |
| Corner Kicks | 2 | 3 |
| Passes | 191 | 249 |
| Fouls | 12 | 0 |
Both sides remained unchanged at the break, and despite a certain confidence from the travelling contingent, Forest burst out of the blocks with notable intensity.
Gibbs-White restored parity inside three minutes courtesy of an inch-perfect header, having outmuscled Amad at the back post following a dangerous delivery into the area.
Astonishingly, Savona turned the game on its head 39 seconds after the restart, profiting from a penalty-area melee to toe-poke past a helpless Senne Lammens.
To their credit, United responded, upping their tempo and hassling the Forest backline repeatedly. Fernandes came within millimetres of equalising when his 35-yard effort crashed off the post on the hour mark.
Patrick Dorgu replaced Diogo Dalot for the final 20 minutes, and Noussair Mazraoui followed shortly afterwards for his first appearance since facing Chelsea in September.
From here, it was a session of attack versus defence, as Dyche instructed his men to sit deep, contain and maintain their lead at all costs.
But for all of their defensive frailties on the day, United’s attacking threat is undeniable, and Amad levelled proceedings with an exquisite volley from distance with 10 minutes remaining.
Amorim thought his side had won it deep into the five additional minutes when the Ivorian winger sent a second volley on target, only for Murillo to deny a certain winner inches from the goal line.
While it is frustrating to see another victory squandered against a side who have endured such struggles this season, a draw was a fair result on the day.
The Red are now undefeated in four, ahead of a trip to North London for an early Saturday meeting with Thomas Franks’ Spurs next weekend.
How are you feeling after a dramatic day at the City Ground? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on our social channels.
Photo by Craig Thomas/News Images via depositphotos.com. Statistics via sofasscore.com.
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