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Ruben Amorim’s first year as Manchester United head coach started as it began, with a point away from home.
Amad Diallo set up the first goal of the Portuguese boss’ reign for Marcus Rashford at Ipswich last November. Here at the City Ground, the little Ivorian came up with a stunning late equaliser to keep United’s momentum going even though their three-match winning run is at an end.
It looked like new Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche would inflict a defeat on Amorim and claim his first Premier League win in charge after his side led courtesy of a quick one-two early in the second half by Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicola Savona.
But United are a tougher proposition these days, both physically and mentally. They cleared their heads and took the game back to Forest, so nearly snatching victory at the end.
Amorim’s first anniversary also saw him name an unchanged line-up in the Premier League for the first time, although Harry Maguire was fit enough to return on the bench. It was a United team containing five of the players who started Amorim’s first game in charge at Portman Road.
Dyche also kept the same line-up that lost his first league game at Bournemouth last weekend as Forest looked for their first win in the competition since the opening weekend of the season. Indeed, they had not kept a clean sheet in the league since beating United 1-0 here in April with an excellent goal by former United man Anthony Elanga.
Amad Diallo rescued a draw for Man United with a superb strike against Nottingham Forest
The Red Devils star used remarkable technique to thunder an effort in from outside the area
Ruben Amorim’s first year as United boss started as it began, with a point away from home
A lot has changed since then. Elanga is long gone to Newcastle and Dyche is the third manager of the season, succeeding Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou.
The atmosphere inside the City Ground wasn’t nearly as febrile for United either with Forest fans growing increasingly disenchanted with life on the Trent. They were even less happy by the end of a first half that saw Casemiro give United the lead in controversial circumstances.
The goal arrived in the 34th minute after Savona headed clear at the far post and then chased the ball out towards the corner. Did it roll over the line? It’s hard to tell these days when we have to take the curvature of the ball into account and the margins are miniscule, but the initial replays suggested it wasn’t – even after the Italian defender miscontrolled at the first attempt.
Referee Darren England and his officials saw it differently, however, and awarded United a corner. From that moment, it always felt as though Forest might pay the price. Bruno Fernandes delivered from the left and Casemiro rose behind substitute Ryan Yates to plant a header into the bottom corner for his second goal in as many games.
Boos erupted around the ground and Dyche turned on fourth official Robert Madley. His second Premier League game and once again he was on the wrong end of a questionable decision after Bournemouth scored from a corner last week that should have been a Forest goal kick.
It was the spark the game needed following a first half that had rather dragged on after a bright opening. Nikola Milenkovic blocked Benjamin Sesko’s early first-time effort after Bryan Mbeumo had pulled the ball back, and Luke Shaw made an equally important interception at the other end to deny Igor Jesus.
Amid the thrust and counter thrust, Dan Ndoye stung Senne Lammens’ fingertips with a 25-yard drive and Matz Sels palmed away Diallo’s effort from range. Callum Hudson-Odoi fired over after Yates had replaced the injured Douglas Luiz, and Sesko whipped a shot narrowly wide.
Forest had certainly given as good as they got before going behind, and they stunned United with two goals in as many minutes early in the second half.
Casemiro opened the scoring for Manchester United in the first half with his third of the season
Morgan Gibbs-White struck early in the second half, putting Nottingham Forest on level terms
Nicolo Savona fired Forest in front just 92 seconds later as Man United crumbled after break
Gibbs-White scored the first, getting in front of Diallo to steer a header inside the far post after Elliot Anderson had spread play out to the right and Yeats had clipped in a cross.
The City Ground was still celebrating when Ndoye’s cross from the same wing took a deflection off Matheus Cunha and looped up into United’s penalty area moments later. Jesus jumped with Matthijs de Ligt and as the ball dropped on the edge of the six yard box, Savona reacted quicker than Diogo Dalot to touch the ball away from the Portugal defender and beat Lammens from close range.
The double blow stirred United into action and Casemiro almost got a second on the hour when he stabbed wide after Fernandes’ low drive had hit the base of the post and rebounded to the Brazilian.
It looked like Forest might hold onto their lead as they defended doggedly, but Diallo claimed the equaliser in sensational fashion in the 81st minute. Again it came from a corner, Mbeumo picking out Casemiro from the right. He headed goalwards, Omari Hutchinson headed clear, and the ball dropped for Diallo who met it with a sweet left-foot strike that dipped beyond Sels.
There was a VAR check for offside against Casemiro, but Diallo had his goal and almost got another in the fourth minute of added time when Murillo cleared his effort off the line.
