Manchester United needed a win against Nottingham Forest to keep the momentum from before the international break going. Unfortunately, the Red Devils suffered yet another defeat in the Premier League. Anthony Elanga, who was a Manchester United youngster before eventually coming into the first team, delivered the lone goal of the game off a superb counterattack.
What went wrong for Man United?
Elanga's goal exposed a real problem in Manchester United's defence. While most defenders were crowded in the box waiting for a Bruno Fernandes corner, several players were on the edge of the box looking to stop any threat of a Forest counter.
Anthony Elanga's speed was a struggle for the United players, as Patrick Dorgu and Alejandro Garnacho raced to keep up with the 22-year-old. Noussair Mazraoui also looked to get a challenge in on Elanga, but nothing could stop the Swede as he went from his box to United's box before unleashing a low shot to the bottom right corner.
United's players showed that they were not equipped to handle such speed and movement. Reinforcements are needed in that area to be able to prevent a quick counter. Garnacho, a winger, showed his inability to get a tackle in, as Elanga seemed to just brush him off. Dorgu attempted to slide in for a block as Elanga let his shot go, but the pace of the ball was too much.
Mazraoui was the furthest man back for United, but he found himself drawn over to the left more as Morgan Gibbs-White also raced forward. The Moroccan defender had a tough choice to make on who to cover, as Elanga could have slotted the ball over to the Englishman instead of taking on the shot himself.
Positives for Manchester United
Despite the defeat, there were positives to take away from Manchester United's performance. After conceding the goal, the away side enjoyed an enormous amount of possession of the ball. They were able to string together multiple attacks and found themselves in good positions throughout the game.
Ruben Amorim's side amassed a total of 23 shots in the defeat, with six of them being on target. Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels came up with a big stop in the opening minutes of the game after a Bruno Fernandes shot threatened the home team's goal. United completed over double the number of passes that Nottingham Forest completed.
Another boost came from players returning from injury. Harry Maguire and Altay Bayindir found themselves back on the bench for United, the former coming on as a substitute. Maguire played up top during the eight minutes he was on for and had the away team's best chances of the night. Injury-prone Mason Mount was also on the bench again and came on in the 78th minute.
What's next for Manchester United?
United have two big games coming up, as they face Manchester City at the weekend and Lyon in the Europa League later in the week. United are looking to make it a double over their rivals, who are also struggling at the moment.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that forward Erling Haaland will miss the match, as he may be out for up to seven weeks. Guardiola will be desperate to get a result at Old Trafford, as will Amorim. Wins at Old Trafford have been hard to come by this season and a win against City will give United some confidence.
The Europa League quarterfinal matchup against Lyon will also be an important fixture. The first leg is on April 10th in Lyon. The reverse fixture will be a week later on the 17th at Old Trafford. These matches will be must wins if United want to keep hope alive for qualifying for the Champions League next season by winning the Europa League.