Manchester United faced a tough 2-1 loss against Nottingham Forest over the weekend, adding to their string of defeats this season. Goals from Nicolas Dominguez and Morgan Gibbs-White secured the win for the home team at City Ground. The defeat placed Erik ten Hag's struggling United team in seventh place with 31 points, marking their 14th loss across all competitions this season. This victory for Forest was their first Premier League win against United since 1994.
United's performance was inconsistent, following a recent uplifting 3-2 win against Aston Villa. Despite their comeback in the previous game, they struggled on Saturday, displaying weaknesses in both their attacking and defensive play. Dominguez opened the scoring in the 64th minute in what had been a lackluster match.
Marcus Rashford managed to equalize in the 78th minute after Alejandro Garnacho capitalized on a mistake by goalkeeper Matt Turner, setting up Rashford for a precise finish.
However, United's celebrations were short-lived as Gibbs-White struck with a remarkable shot on the counter-attack, shortly after Turner made a great save at the other end.
After the match, Ten Hag acknowledged the need for consistency in performances, admitting that United should have done better, particularly in capitalizing on opportunities and dealing with the team's ongoing injury issues.
Despite the setback, Ten Hag expressed hope for the return of several players in the new year, aiming to strengthen the squad and address the challenges they've faced due to injuries.
The win propelled Nuno Espírito Santo's Forest to 15th place with 20 points, securing back-to-back victories for the first time in the season and placing them five points clear of the relegation zone.