Manchester United’s Struggles Continue as They Suffer 3-2 Defeat to Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford

Manchester United’s woes deepened on Saturday as they fell to a 3-2 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest, leaving the club in 13th place in the Premier League after 15 matches. The result, which followed a 2-0 loss to Arsenal earlier in the week, marked a disappointing start to Ruben Amorim’s tenure as the new Manchester United manager.

The game began disastrously for United, with Nikola Milenkovic giving Forest the lead in the second minute with a powerful header from a corner. Despite a brief rally from the hosts, who equalized through Rasmus Hojlund in the 18th minute, United’s defensive vulnerabilities were once again exposed.

Two minutes into the second half, Forest regained the lead thanks to Morgan Gibbs-White, whose shot beat United goalkeeper Andre Onana far too easily. Chris Wood then extended the visitors’ advantage with a header in the 58th minute, marking his 25th Premier League goal for Forest, making him the club’s all-time top scorer in the competition.

United captain Bruno Fernandes pulled a goal back for the Red Devils just after the hour mark, but despite their best efforts, they were unable to find an equalizer, as Forest held on to secure their first victory at Old Trafford since 1994.

Amorim, who was appointed to replace Erik ten Hag earlier this season, admitted after the match that his team’s lack of quality and slow starts were major factors in their defeat. “We need more time to put things in place,” he said. “It’s a long journey, and we need to continue working to improve. We started both halves poorly, and while we had heart, we didn’t have enough quality.”

The defeat was compounded by individual errors, with Onana failing to prevent Forest’s second goal and Lisandro Martinez making a crucial mistake leading to the third. Amorim acknowledged the team’s defensive issues, especially conceding from set-pieces—a problem that had already cost United against Arsenal earlier in the week.

“It was really hard to put energy into the team after conceding so early, but we did it,” Amorim said. “We managed to score one, but then it was more about effort than quality. We need to work on this. We’ve had setbacks before, and we’ll keep working to turn things around.”

With the loss, United have now suffered back-to-back defeats under Amorim, casting doubt on whether the new manager will be able to turn around the club’s fortunes in the short term. United’s failure to build on their earlier momentum has sparked frustration among fans, who are growing increasingly impatient with the team’s poor form.

For Nottingham Forest, the victory was historic, as they secured their first-ever Premier League win at Old Trafford. Under the guidance of Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest are now in 5th place with 25 points from 15 matches, a remarkable achievement given the club’s recent struggles.

While United’s problems are clear—defensive lapses, slow starts, and lack of composure—Amorim remains optimistic that with time, improvements will come. “I’ve been through similar situations before,” he said, recalling his time at Sporting Lisbon. “We have to stay patient, continue to work hard, and things will turn around.” This was United’s lowest league position after 15 matches since the 1986/87 season.