Manchester United had to battle for a point at Nottingham Forest despite having the best chances to win the game.
Ruben Amorim’s side arrived at the City Ground in their best run of form since the Portuguese took charge one year ago to the day. United had won three successive games and shot up the table, even occupying a Champions League place at full-time of their previous 4-2 win at home against Brighton.
And it looked to be going the visitors’ way when United took the lead on 34 minutes as Casemiro headed home from a corner. However, the decision to award United a corner in the first place was controversial.
Nicolo Savona attempted to keep the ball in play on the far side of the pitch to linesman Akil Howson. But a corner was given by the official to the anger of the hosts. Sean Dyche was among those most irate and made his thoughts clear to the fourth official.
After remonstrating on the sidelines, Dyche called out to his players to switch on and defend the corner, but that message wasn’t heard as the Brazilian was allowed a free header on the six-yard box.
Casemiro’s return to form in the middle of the park has been one of the driving factors behind United’s run of form, with the goal seeing the Red Devils enter the break 1-0 in front.
Amorim seemingly had an easy job at half-time, with his side in front and looking likely to score a second goal. But the start of the second half was nothing short of a disaster.
Two balls into the box and two minutes later, Forest took the lead. Morgan Gibbs-White took advantage of Amad Diallo’s height at the far post to head in the equaliser before United went to pieces.
Another ball into the box less than two minutes later found the head of Igor Jesus, who managed to get to the ball under pressure from three United defenders. The Brazilian was unable to get any purchase on the header, but the ball dropped to Savona, who had ghosted into the box, and took the ball in his path to fire home from close range.
United’s good form of late is heavily linked to the form of Amad, who has linked up brilliantly with Bryan Mbeumo down the right-hand side, but the equaliser showed the incredibly fine line that Amorim’s system toes while defending, with Amad’s height a clear target for crosses into the box.
Amorim decided not to risk Harry Maguire on his return from injury, with the hero at Anfield named on the bench, with Leny Yoro starting on the right of the back three. At only 19, Yoro is an incredible prospect but he is still young to the physicality of the English league.
The Frenchman wasn’t able to offer Amad any support marking Gibbs-White for the opener, while Yoro was one of the players beaten in the air by Jesus. Amorim had his hands tied monitoring the fitness of Maguire, but Maguire’s dominance in the air would have likely defended at least one of Forest’s quickfire goals.
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However, the huge upside of starting Amad was proven with 10 minutes to go as the Ivorian smashed home a brilliant volley from the edge of the box to equalise. A clearance from the corner looped the way of Amad, who struck a volley that United’s greats of the past would be buzzing to have caught so true.
Both sides pushed hard for a winner, with United coming the closest as Amad saw a potential winner cleared off the line deep into added time.