Key events
90+8 min: Zirkzee twice denied. The ball was pulled back to him on the penalty spot. His first shot was blocked, his second diverted over by a brilliant save from Sels. Zirkzee can’t buy a goal.
Dalot hits the post!
90+7 min: Fernandes once again drives through the middle. Rather than pass or shoot, he rather stumbles over the ball, which runs into the path of Dalot … who rounds Williams … shoots across Sels … but hits the far post with his shot! Fernandes would have got another assist, there!
90+5 min: I suspect this won’t just be the final game at Old Trafford for Casemiro. Zirkzee will surely be off this summer. The Dutchman has again been ponderous here.
90+4 min: Anderson next to go into the book for a late challenge on Dorgu.
90+3 min: Forest next to carve out an opening, as Awoniyi receives the ball with his back to goal, firing wide. Luke Shaw was booked for fouling Bakwa in the build-up.
90+1 min: With Milenkovic among the Forest defenders further up the pitch, Fernandes canters forward on another United counter. The Portuguese dribbles into the Forest area, and really should shoot, but instead tries to set up Diallo as he chases that record. It’s a poor pass, though, and Diallo can’t reach it. Sighs all around Old Trafford.
90 min: Eight minutes added on. Eight! There’s another goal in this game. I can feel it.
89 min: Forest push forward but they are instantly exposed on a Manchester United counter-attack, with Diallo streaming forward on the right wing. With only Milenkovic between himself and the Forest goal, Diallo chooses instead to square the ball towards Zirkzee … but the Dutchman doesn’t have the pace to reach the slightly undercooked pass, with Sangare making a fine covering challenge.
87 min: “United fan here,” writes Joshua Keeling. “I’m staggered that goal was given. He controlled it with his arm.”
Yep, that is a very good synopsis of what happened. Mbeumo’s touch directly led to Cunha’s goal.
85 min: This game is really opening up, with both teams going for it. I would not be surprised if Bruno Fernandes does indeed break the assist record. Or if Forest score to make it 3-3.
83 min: Fernandes so nearly becomes the outright record assist holder. A frankly disgusting diagonal ball from the right wing finds Dorgu. The Dane takes a great first touch but fires straight at Sels. A good save in fairness!
81 min: A triple change for United. Mbeumo is replaced by Zirkzee, Dorgu on for Cunha and Mount will come on for Casemiro, who gets a standing ovation as he departs the Old Trafford pitch for the final time as a Manchester United player. There is a wry smile from the Brazilian, who looks moved by the reaction from the stadium.
GOAL! Manchester United 3-2 Nottingham Forest (Gibbs-White 79)
Out of nothing, Forest are back in it! Anderson with his second assist of the game, zinging a square pass to Gibbs-White, who diverts the ball past Lammes with an expertly-taken first-time finish. Great goal, and the 1,000th of this Premier League season.
77 min: Every single United teammate was sure to congragulate Fernandes, there, more so than Mbeumo. “Bruno, Bruno, Bruno” serendade the home crowd.
GOAL! Manchester United 3-1 Nottingham Forest (Mbeumo 76)
Fernandes flashes a brilliant cross across the Forest box … Mbeumo sticks out a leg, and the ball cannons into the far corner. Mbeumo gets his goal, but Fernandes has his 20th assist of the season! He ties the all-time Premier League assist record, which stands at 20 and is jointly held by Thierry Henry (2002-03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019-20).
74 min: Interesting that Carrick has kept Mbeumo on the pitch. A penny for the thoughts of Zirkzee.
72 min: “VAR needs to go, I think we can all agree with that,” emails Phil Withall.
Yep, get rid. Football is meant to be fun, first and foremost. VAR has sucked the joy out of football, and there is no amount of nitpicking that can make up for that. Football survived just fine before VAR. Yes, there was controversy and wrong decisions but there is controversy and wrong decisions now.
70 min: Forest make some much-needed changes. They have not got hold of the ball since Cunha’s controversial goal. Chris Wood, Omari Hutchinson and Nicolas Domínguez come off, Taiwo Awoniyi, Dilane Bakwa and Ibrahim Sangare come on.
68 min: United are banging on the door for a third. Diallo is denied by Sels, and then Fernandes squares for Cunha, who sees his shot blocked.
66 min: “Not sure which is the biggest current farce, corners or handball interpretations,” emails Adam Hirst. “Hearts must be even more depressed seeing that not given as a foul.”
64 min: Mbeumo again goes through on goal, but again spoons a finish over the bar! Oooooo, that is possibly the easiest chance he has had all day, and both he and Bruno Fernandes slump to the ground in disappointment. It was Fernandes that played Mbeumo through there – had he scored, the Portuguese would have gone level with the all-time Premier League assist record, which stands at 20 and is jointly held by Thierry Henry (2002-03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019-20).
62 min: Gibbs-White somehow skips through two United challenges but Lammens rushes out of his goal and bravely falls at the feet of the Forest man, smothering the ball. Great goalkeeping once again.
60 min: It’s a good job that this game doesn’t really matter in the battle for Europe/survival. VAR is a mess. It’s time to get rid of the whole thing.
58 min: I am genuinely dumbstruck that that has been given! The VAR looked at that incident for three minutes, told referee Michael Salisbury to go and check the screen, presumably suggesting that he had made a mistake on the field. Salisbury spent a further minute looking at it, before confirming his on-pitch decision! The thing is, it’s just a blatant handball from Mbeumo! If that is anywhere else on the pitch, it’s a free-kick to Forest. I think the argument is that the ball took a little deflection off Mbeumo’s thigh, onto his arm. And because he is not the actual goalscorer – Cunha was – the goal can be given.
GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Nottingham Forest (Cunha 56)
Mbeumo collects the ball, swivels and shoots, but a brilliant block from Williams denies the United forward. Cunha pounces on the loose ball, sidefooting the ball into the net but replays show that Mbeumo controlled the ball with his arm. It’s a fairly obvious handball and VAR will surely chalk off this goal?! No! The goal stands! Remarkable!
GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Nottingham Forest (Morato 54)
Morato scores his first goal for Forest in his 56th appearance for the club! Forest take a short corner, Anderson creates some room and whips a gorgeous cross to the back post, where Morato nods in!
52 min: I do wish Hutchinson would be more direct. He has such obvious ability, and has impressed this season, but does also choose the easy option too often, square and back when he should travel forward with the ball.
50 min: Corner to Manchester United. Fernandes gets a rapturous reception as he trots enough to take it. Only Aston Villa have scored more set-piece goals than United’s 21 strikes this season. Fernandes’ delivery is cleared.
Over from Mbeumo!
47 min: Another golden chance for Mbeumo! Cunha fizzes a fine low cross across Forest’s goalmouth, just too far ahead of Mbeumo. But Diallo rescues the ball from the opposite byline, cuts the ball back to Mbeumo, unmarked six yards out … but the Cameroonian international spoons his shot over the bar. That was an awful connection, shinning a bouncing ball into the stands!
Peeeeeeeeeep!
The second half begins. No changes from either side.
Watching the replays of that Gibbs-White chance from the first half, two things to note:
1) The Forest man was probably offside, so it wouldn’t have counted.
2) It really was an excellent save from Lammens. He collapsed like a house of cards onto the ball.
The Guardian has kicked off a new chapter in puzzles with the launch of its first daily football game, On the ball. It is now live in the app for both iOS and Android … so what are you waiting for?
Half-time reading:
Half-time: Manchester United 1-0 Nottingham Forest
Luke Shaw’s goal is the difference.
45 min: One minute added.
44 min: After a well-timed run, Wood threatens to break free on goal, but a heavy touch allows Martinez to step in and make a tackle.
42 min: After Fernandes botches a short-corner routine, Dalot hooks in a cross to the back post where Diallo – 5ft8in of him – nods over.
40 min: “Of the players on the field, I wouldn’t be surprised if Amad Diallo will have the best World Cup,” emails Kári Tulinius. “Ivory Coast don’t have a terribly difficult group, and they have the squad to go deep into the knockouts. Amad was the Elephants’ finest attacker at the latest Afcon, so he should have plenty of opportunities to shine. Also, it’s odd to say this about a starter for Manchester United, but I think he’s underrated.”
