“Never in doubt”, “Bruno Fernandes is a blessing” – Twitter explodes as Manchester United come from behind to secure 3-2 win
In an impressive display, Manchester United rebounded from a two-goal deficit to conquer Nottingham Forest 3-2 at the Theatre of Dreams. A stadium roaring with exhilaration witnessed United's resurgence, putting an end to hopes of Forest's 29-year jinx at Old Trafford coming to an end.
Forest struck like lightning right out of the gates. Within minutes, Taiwo Awoniyi galloped past a scrambling Marcus Rashford to slot the ball past goalkeeper Andre Onana. That was merely the opening act. Minutes later, a free-kick sent the ball into the welcoming forehead of Boly, who nodded it home with poise. Forest were cruising at 2-0, and the clock had barely ticked past four minutes.
But United came back into the game. Christian Eriksen powered the ball over Forest's keeper Turner, capitalizing on a razor-sharp assist from Rashford. The Red Devils were breathing down Forest's neck at 2-1 as they entered the tunnel at halftime.
The stage was set for a second-half comeback. A well-orchestrated free-kick saw Bruno Fernandes's header in the six-yard box find Casemiro, who guided the ball into the net, squaring things up. Then came the moment that broke Forest's back: their captain Joe Worrall got a red card, a result of his desperate tug on Fernandes.
Soon after, a VAR-confirmed penalty ensued after Rashford's knees clashed with Danilo's, sending United's frontman tumbling. Fernandes had the chance to convert, and coolly dispatched the ball into he net.
Manchester United were leading 3-2 by the 80th minute, and this time, they held on to all three points. In the aftermath, Twitter erupted as the Old Trafford faithful took to social media to share their excitement after the game. Here is a selection of their tweets:
Erik ten Hag discusses Manchester United forward Antony
In a season teeming with high expectations, Manchester United's Brazilian sensation Antony has found himself under the magnifying lens. After an £85 million transition from Ajax just a year ago, the spotlight has only intensified for the winger.
When Antony arrived at Old Trafford, he carried the momentum of his Ajax years with him, scoring a dazzling goal on his Premier League debut against Arsenal. However, the excitement seemed to wane as the season unfolded.
With only a meagre tally of three additional goals and a pair of assists in the following 24 Premier League appearances, Antony's inaugural season could be aptly described as lukewarm.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag acknowledged Antony's positives, mentioning his decent pre-season performances (via Express):
"He’s done a good pre-season, scoring some goals. More often he’s in situations where he is a threat for the opponent and in the key moments he’s where he should have been. Now we have to finish. In pre-season, he scored two goals and one assist, so I think he’s in a good direction."
However, the manager has set the tone for what's expected of Antony in the coming days:
"Now he has to speed up, because for us good is not good enough. Don’t get frustrated, focus on football and performing."
The fans will hope that the Manchester United winger can react to Ten Hag's words and exceed expectations this season.