One “phenomenal” Manchester United star showed Rúben Amorim that he made a huge mistake against Nottingham Forest that he must correct against Man City.
Manchester United suffered their 13th Premier League defeat of the season, losing 1-0 away to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening, thanks to an early strike from Anthony Elanga.
The match started with intensity as Bruno Fernandes tested Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels early on. However, it was former United man Elanga who broke the deadlock after just five minutes, sprinting nearly the entire length of the pitch before calmly slotting past André Onana.
As the first half progressed, Rúben Amorim’s side improved in possession and showed glimpses of a fightback, yet couldn’t convert their opportunities into goals. Seeking a spark, Amorim replaced Manuel Ugarte with Rasmus Højlund at half-time, aiming for greater attacking threat.
Despite United increasing their pressure after the interval, Nottingham Forest’s disciplined defence remained resilient. Mason Mount came close late on, but Nuno Espírito Santo’s men defended superbly, with Murillo producing an outstanding stoppage-time block on the line to preserve their lead.
Ultimately, Forest held firm to secure another impressive win at The City Ground, leaving Amorim and his team frustrated and empty-handed once more.
Yoro proved Amorim wrong with “phenomenal” moment
Within the opening moments of the tie, it was clear that Amorim had instructed Leny Yoro to play on the right of United’s back three, with Noussair Mazraoui on the left – much to the surprise of many United fans.
Within minutes, it felt as if this decision was a poor one, with Elanga’s goal coming from Mazraoui’s side. With Yoro explaining a few days ago that he feels his speed and anticipation are two of his key strengths, it’s hard not to feel that the Frenchman may have been able to stop Elanga in his tracks.
The 40-year-old chose to switch the pair around for the second half, and it was one moment towards the end of the tie that really cemented the notion that Amorim made a mistake by not playing Yoro on the left-hand side in the opening 45 minutes.
With Elanga on the break once again with fewer than ten minutes left to play, Yoro put in a “phenomenal” challenge on the Swedish international to stop him from grabbing a second of the evening, with it being immediately clear that this is something he could have done to stop the goal in the first half.
Amorim must switch the pair vs Man City
With United facing Man City at Old Trafford next, Amorim must look to start Yoro on the left-hand side.
It is obvious that, without Lisandro Martínez or Luke Shaw available, the 19-year-old is the Portuguese manager’s best option in the position. Yoro had admitted on several occasions that he enjoys playing there.
With the City game a chance to bounce back after their first loss in eight fixtures, Yoro should be playing alongside Patrick Dorgu on the left flank.
Despite Mazroaui’s sub-par performance, he did not do much to warrant the player being dropped for the weekend fixture, although with Harry Maguire now back from injury, Amorim could choose to rotate the back line.
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