Nottingham Forest tightened their grip on a Champions League spot with a crucial 1-0 victory over Manchester United, courtesy of Anthony Elanga’s breathtaking solo strike against his former club.
The Swedish winger, who left Old Trafford for Forest in a £15 million move in 2023, sprinted 70 yards before slotting the ball into the bottom corner, punishing United with a ruthless early goal. Murillo then sealed the victory with a last-gasp goalline clearance to deny Harry Maguire an equalizer.
Forest remain third in the Premier League, holding an eight-point lead over fourth-placed Chelsea, who still have a game in hand against Tottenham on Thursday. With only a few matches left in the season, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side are on the verge of securing Champions League football for the first time in over two decades.
Adding to their fairytale campaign, Forest are also in the FA Cup semi-finals, where they will face Manchester City at Wembley later this month, keeping their hopes alive for silverware and European football. Their latest triumph saw them complete a league double over United for the first time since the 1991-92 season, securing their 13th clean sheet and condemning the Red Devils to their 13th defeat of the campaign.
United, under increasing pressure, were once again blunt in attack despite some promising spells. Diogo Dalot hit the bar with a first-half header, and Bruno Fernandes forced Matz Sels into a save early on, but they struggled to break down a disciplined Forest side.
Rúben Amorim’s team remains stuck in 13th place, facing a daunting trip to Manchester City for Sunday’s derby, with little sign of a turnaround in their miserable campaign.
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