Man UTD 3-2 Nottingham Forest: Goals from Luke Shaw, Matheus Cunha and Brian Mbeumo were enough to give Manchester United all three points in this thrilling five-goal game
Manchester United are back to winning ways (Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Matheus Cunha’s controversial goal saw Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 in their final home game of the Premier League season. United took an early lead through Luke Shaw’s goal, but were leveled again in the second half with a header from Forest star Morato.
And Cunha controversially scored despite the ball hitting Brian Mbeumo’s arm during the build-up. The goal was awarded after a lengthy VAR check and Michael Carrick’s side quickly grabbed their third. Bruno Fernandes set up Mbeumo’s tap-in before Morgan Gibbs-White completed a tense finish to equal the Premier League record for assists.
Forest were officially safe under manager Vitor Pereira after relegation rivals West Ham lost to Arsenal last weekend and there was little danger heading into the game. United, on the other hand, went into this game knowing that a point from their remaining two games would be enough to seal third place.
Here are five stories from Old Trafford.
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1. The show sends timely reminders
Shaw has started all 37 of United’s Premier League games this season and was guaranteed to score in one of them. The defender scored in the Red Devils’ penultimate game, ending a three-year drought in the league.
Fernandes’ cross was only half cleared by Forest, but Shaw had too much time to control the ball inside the penalty area. His sweet shot sailed past Mats Sells and into the bottom right corner, breaking the deadlock after just five minutes.
The show’s goal may have been just in the nick of time. England manager Thomas Tuchel is set to announce his final 26-man squad for the World Cup on Thursday, with Shaw among the 55 players on the provisional list.
Should Luke Shaw go to the World Cup? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
Luke Shaw made his case for England (Image: Lee Parker – CameraSport via Getty Images)
2. Anderson is impressive.
Elliott Anderson has been linked with both Manchester clubs ahead of the summer transfer window, with a lot of attention focused on Elliott Anderson. The England international was busy in the center of the park, taking more touches than any other player in the first half.
Anderson also showed his quality on the ball, assisting Forest’s two goals after completing the most dribbles and contributing the most in defense in his first 45 games. He is competing with Casemiro in midfield and could be his replacement if United win the race for him.
Forest are reported to be demanding a signing bonus of £125 million, and a good performance at the World Cup could boost his stock further. Should United move quickly?
Elliott Anderson is a Manchester United target (Image: Lee Parker – CameraSport via Getty Images)
3. United benefit from bizarre VAR call
United found the back of the net just two minutes after Forest had equalized through Morato. However, their lead was never officially restored for five more innings.
After Mbeumo failed to control the ball inside the box, the ball dropped to Cunha, who calmly slotted home in front of the Stretford End. However, Forest believed the ball had touched Mbeumo’s arm midway through and was furious.
Indeed it was, and referee Michael Salisbury was sent to the monitor. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that the goal would be canceled, but Salisbury stuck with his original decision after replays showed the ball hit Mbeumo’s waist before his right arm.
The Red Devils were once again in the lead, much to the ire of Forest.
Manchester United score after a long check (Image: Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
4. Fernandes equals Premier League assist record
As the end approached, it looked like it was a day to forget for Mbeumo, who missed three chances. But the former Brentford star couldn’t have missed when Fernandes put it on the plate for him.
His latest assist means the United captain equals Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry’s record of 20 in a single Premier League season. Can he go one better next Sunday at Brighton?
Casemiro bids farewell in his final appearance at Old Trafford (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
5. Farewell Casemiro
An experienced player like Casemiro would normally be key to United’s advantage after Gibbs-White’s moment of brilliance narrowed the gap. However, as the Old Trafford crowd gave him a standing ovation, Carrick chose to be sent off with 12 minutes of normal time remaining.
The Brazilian, who was emotional at the time of his sending off, has made a comeback after struggling in his second and third seasons at United, leaving him a fan favorite. Inter Miami are interested in signing him and we are waiting for confirmation of his next move.
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