Goals from Casemiro and Amad saw Manchester United fight back to draw 2-2 with Nottingham Forest on a tense Saturday afternoon affair at The City Ground.
Rúben Amorim chose to name an unchanged starting XI as Manchester United travelled to face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
The tie started with both sides carving out decent chances, but it was Forest who were able to grab a firmer foothold in the game in the opening 30 minutes. However, it was Casemiro who opened the scoring from a corner that the home fans felt should not have been given.
While Forest tried to push for an equaliser before half-time, one did not arrive. In the second half, Sean Dyche’s men started fast, and they got their reward within minutes as Morgan Gibbs-White headed past Senne Lammens to tie the game at 1-1.
Then, 39 seconds after the restart, Forest found themselves taking the lead as Nicolò Savona finished off from close range, with United suddenly in trouble. The two sides went blow for blow, and Amad was able to grab one back for Amorim with an outstanding first-time volley with ten minutes to play.
Amad thought he had then grabbed the winning goal with just minutes to spare, but a fantastic goal-line clearance from Murillo made sure that the spoils were shared on Saturday afternoon.
#1 – Same team, different style
The Forest fixture represented the first time since Amorim joined the club that he named an unchanged starting XI in back-to-back Premier League games, but it was clear from early on that the style implemented was different.
Against Liverpool and Brighton, United were tasked with being proactive and winning duels. However, from the start in Nottingham, Amorim’s Reds were much more stand-offish in the midfield and attack, while playing with the ball on the floor much more often.
While United were fantastic in the first half, once Forest became braver and applied more pressure, they initially crumbled but were able to fight back to secure the draw.
#2 – United suffering without space in attack
Amorim pointed out ahead of the fixture that he felt one reason why United were able to play well in their wins against Sunderland, Liverpool, and Brighton was due to the space they had in attack. He also acknowledged that they wouldn’t be afforded this against Forest.
Even when United were a goal up, it never really felt as if they had control of the game, and with Forest gaining a lead in the second half, Dyche’s men were still able to control the game despite conceding possession.
It is definitely a weakness on Amorim’s side that they cannot be effective with possession if they have more of the ball – most of the wins have come with less. Time on the training ground can fix it, but it’s certainly a bit of a red flag.
#3 – Amad’s performances dictate United so much
While football and performances are never an exact science, a trend and correlation are emerging that show how Amad plays is often a good indication of how well United plays, too.
Playing Amad as a right wing-back is brilliant when he’s on form and United are dominating, with his Bryan Mbeumo partnership often paralysing the left defensive lines of opposition sides. However, when he’s not at his best, United can become vulnerable.
Ultimately, the Ivorian was able to secure his first goal of the season, which is a big positive, but it is a possible weak spot that Amorim will need to consider in the future.
#4 – Shaw stood out despite mixed performance
In the 2025 summer transfer window, there was considerable assessment regarding who in the squad does not have a promising future under Amorim, and a name that continually surfaced was Luke Shaw’s.
Read More: Player Ratings – Nottingham Forest 2-2 Manchester United (Premier League)
However, as a left centre-back in the last six weeks, the Englishman has been phenomenal, with the performance against Forest one of his best yet under the head coach, despite the squad’s overall display being par at best.
Lisandro Martínez has returned to first-team duties after nine months out with an ACL problem. Still, if the 30-year-old can keep fit and consistent, he may continue to be used in the position over the Argentine international.
#5 – Signs of life after one year under Amorim
The game against Forest represented exactly one year since Amorim was appointed as the head coach of United. But, barring some good performances in the Europa League last season, there has been little to shout about.
But, with the Forest game representing four unbeaten games on the bounce for the Reds and a spirited fight back despite going a goal down, there are still positives to take for United.
After a summer of excellent recruitment and plenty of time on the training ground, Amorim finally looks to be implementing successful ideas with the squad.
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