Fernandes seals comeback win for Manchester United over Forest

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes celebrates after the match
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Bruno Fernandes completed a 3-2 comeback victory for Manchester United from the penalty spot after the hosts conceded twice inside the opening five minutes against Nottingham Forest in a rip-roaring Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The home crowd were stunned after two minutes when Taiwo Awoniyi ran through to put Forest ahead and in disbelief two minutes later when unmarked Willy Boly headed in a second.

Christian Eriksen began the comeback after 17 minutes when he touched in Marcus Rashford’s cross but for all United’s pressure, Forest still packed a substantial threat.

Casemiro levelled from close range in the 52nd minute and Forest were reduced to 10 men when Joe Worrall was red-carded for hauling down Fernandes outside the area.

Ten minutes later Rashford went down in the area after slight contact from Danilo and Fernandes stepped up to beat American keeper Matt Turner from the penalty spot and seal United’s second win of the season.

Beaten by Tottenham Hotspur the previous weekend having struggled to edge out Wolverhampton Wanderers in their opening game, United were in disarray early on against Forest.

But they responded in determined fashion to win a Premier League game at Old Trafford from two goals down for only the third time. Although it was far from convincing against an enterprising Forest side who deserved more.

Awoniyi’s threat on the counter-attack took only two minutes to manifest itself as, from a United corner, a clearance was seized upon by Awoniyi who knocked the ball past Rashford in the centre circle and raced away to slot past Andre Onana.

In doing so Awoniyi became the first Forest player to score in seven successive Premier League appearances.

United’s defending was equally invisible for Forest’s second goal as Boly was allowed space head into the net.

Stung into action, Fernandes brought a save from Turner but Forest did not clear the ball and Rashford beat Serge Aurier and crossed low for Eriksen to begin the recovery.

Forest could have restored their two-goal lead on the stroke of halftime but the outstanding Morgan Gibbs-White’s goalbound shot struck Awoniyi.

United’s equaliser was well-worked. Rashford dinked in a free kick and Fernandes headed the ball across to Casemiro who made up for missing an earlier sitter.

Almost inevitably, Fernandes supplied the winner, although it was tough on Forest who had chances to grab a point in 13 nervous minutes of stoppage time.