Nottingham Forest 0-1 Man United LIVE: Antony slides in to put Erik ten Hag’s injury-stricken side ahead after Keylor Navas had made impressive stop to keep out Anthony Martial’s effort
Follow Mail Sport’s live blog for the Premier League clash between Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.
Host commentator
43′: There’s some clever sparks from Nottingham Forest coming forward, but they’re not able to find that ball which splits the resolute Man United defence.
The ball is lofted forward to Lodi, who puts it into the box, but the attack is stopped for a foul in the box.
The game just seems to have settled a little. Forest bubbling away, but not really getting forward. Man United haven’t really crafted anything since they scored.
37′: What is Harry Maguire doing? That feels risky. It looks like he’s tussling too heavy with an opponent, and they’ve gone down. The referee’s done nothing – and it looked like a booking, at most, so it wouldn’t be reviewed – but he’s skating on very thin ice…
Nottingham Forest haven’t scored in any of their three matches against Man United this season.
Fourth time lucky?
This is Antony celebrating the moment he broke the deadlock at the City Ground.
1-0 UNITED.
Martial comes forward into the box at blistering pace, and forces Keylor Navas to make a great save. Unfortunately, the Costa Rican tips it straight into the path of Antony – who’s following up this time – and he’s able to put the ball home.
The opportunity came from Martial pressing on the Nottingham Forest defence, and a great ball from Bruno Fernandes, who’s been integral to everything creative Man United have done today.
What can Nottingham Forest do now??
31′: Just on the half-hour mark, Danilo cracks one from distance, and it’s deflected off Eriksen and goes wide for a Forest corner, which hits the roof of the net.
28′: Danilo knocks it out for a corner, which is swung in but cleared. On a second attempt, Fernandes crosses into the box, but that’s cleared too.
Nothing just quite clicking in a spectacular fashion for either side just yet.
It looked like a header, it came off a United defender and hit the post. Could have gone anywhere, but the danger was averted nevertheless.
25′: The ball is swung across the crowded six-yard box, and there’s a header which is blocked. Dangerous from the hosts, but just not able to capitalise.
Down the other end, Christian Eriksen stings the hands of Navas.
24′: Nottingham Forest counter, and Maguire gets down low to hook the ball out for a corner.
Halfway through this first half, and still waiting for the opening goal.
21′: Man United come forward, but when Bruno Fernandes plays a fierce ball across the face of the goal, there’s no one there to make a vital goalbound touch.
Bruno’s been influential in this game. Should Antony have come forward to cause problems with the delivery though?
20′: VAR look into a possible penalty. The ball comes in from a Nottingham Forest corner, and as everyone goes for it, it hits Harry Maguire on the arm.
Nothing given. Not really sure what the defender could have done in that situation – but have also seen them given.
18′: Bruno Fernandes hits a fierce shot from inside the box, but despite a deflection, Navas is able to punch it away. Great save from the Costa Rican shotstopper.
17′: Nottingham Forest come forward from a free-kick, but it’s punched away by De Gea.
The ball comes to Niakhate, but he blasts it high. Danger averted for Man United.
16′: Wan-Bissaka finds space on the edge of the box, but can’t do anything with it. The ball comes to Antony, who tries to curl one, but it’s too high to cause any trouble to Keylor Navas.
14′: Harry Maguire misplaces a pass out of play, to the jeers of the Forest fans.
A tricky start for the centre-back.
Good news, the Nottingham Forest No. 20 is back on his feet and back involved in the action.
11′: Brennan Johnson has gone down holding his knee, in what looks like a rather innocent clash with Lindelof.
Johnson has been part of every Forest game in the Premier League this season, and nabbed 10 goals this term.
A frantic start to this one. Manchester United have acres of space at the front to try and craft opportunities, but as they throw people forward, they leave Nottingham Forest open for a quick counter-attack.
8′: Another dangerous cross from Man United, Fernandes playing the ball across, and Felipe does well to head it over his own bar. Although that could have gone anywhere…
7′: Bruno Fernandes plays the ball across the box, but Sancho doesn’t take the opportunity and lets it run too far.
It’s eventually played to Dalot on the edge of the box, who blasts it high and wide.
5′: Wan-Bissaka makes a crucial block at the other end, after Nottingham Forest cause trouble with a long throw into the box.
He’s just come into the team, and he’s gone in the book early doors. Nottingham Forest look to make a quick getaway, and Maguire hauls down his opponent Taiwo just ahead of the halfway line.
Maguire will be walking on eggshells for 87 minutes…
With Eriksen’s move from the bench to the starting XI, Manchester United have added Nathan Bishop to their substitute options.
1′: Big chance for Manchester United, a quick attack, and Jadon Sancho takes a shot, but there’s Felipe in the right place for a big block.
The visitors looking promising from the get-go.
Manchester United in their white away kit with black shorts, as Nottingham Forest have their red kit and white shorts.
Sabitzer’s absence is a groin injury. Another sidelined player for Erik ten Hag to have to work around.
Is it a substitution before the match?
Either way, Sabitzer is not in the line-up, as Christian Eriksen emerges with the Manchester United team for the pre-match line-up.
Kick-off just five minutes away.
In other Man United news, Tyrell Malacia is absent from the squad with a sore knee.
Sky Sports claiming Sabitzer could have to miss the game having struggled in the warm-up.
Christian Eriksen would take Sabitzer’s place.
Not confirmed at the moment, but I’ll keep you posted.
Nottingham Forest’s poor run could be turned around with the return of several key players to their starting XI.
Taiwo Awoniyi, Remo Freuler, Renan Lodi and Scott McKenna come into the team today. Will any of those be enough to lift Forest – or even all four?
Erik ten Hag vows the centre-backs Maguire and Lindelof have the ‘rhythm’ to step into the Man United defence, despite their new injury setbacks.
The Dutchman says they have to do ‘everything’ to fight on three fronts – viewing Champions League qualification like a trophy in its own right.
Three points today goes a long way towards securing that.
Antony going through his pre-match preparation at the City Ground.
Kick-off in just 20 minutes…
Steve Cooper’s had eight days to prepare his defence for this one. After a long run of games without a clean sheet, what can he say to his goalkeeper Keylor Navas and defenders to keep Man United at bay?
Manchester United have won just one of their last four away league games, and lost the other three. What can Erik ten Hag tell his players to get them across the line today?
Is this going to form at the City Ground? 30 minutes away from the start of the Premier League’s second match of the day…
Both sides will not want to let a two-goal lead slip.
The Manchester United goalkeeper coming out to warm-up ahead of this one in Nottingham.
Manchester United’s last league outing was their 2-0 win over Everton, and now they have the chance to deny points to another team in the thick of the relegation battle.
Their next fixtures are the Europa League trip to Sevilla on Thursday, the FA Cup semi-final with Brighton on Sunday, and then a trip to Tottenham on April 27. There’s no let up for Erik ten Hag’s men, so how they will they be in the middle of a crucial run of fixtures on three fronts?
The hosts haven’t picked up a win since February 5th – but if there’s a good time to snap that streak, it’s with less than two months left in the league season.
It won’t get any easier for Cooper’s crew either – they travel to Anfield next weekend, and host an in-form Brighton four days later.
Jesse Lindgard and Jadon Sancho coming in for today’s clash.
Will Man United’s Sancho make an impression from the get-go? Will Lindgard be a deal breaker for Forest off the bench? Both players could be pivotal in changing the course of the season at the top and the bottom of the Premier League’s proceedings.
With both teams making changes – some enforced, some tactical – who will get off the ground quickly? Will there be any tired legs from the visitors – eight of those players started just three days ago? So many questions to be asked, and less than an hour until we start to find out the answers.
Harry Maguire has the captain’s armband, and is in the team to replace Lisandro Martinez, who will miss the rest of the season.
Victor Lindelof and Diogo Dalot are also in the starting XI, three changes from their dramatic draw with Sevilla on Thursday.
Our team is locked in! 🔒 #MUFC || #NFOMUN
Four changes for the hosts today from their 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa. Scott McKenna is back in the 11 charged with trying to see off Man United at the City Ground.
🔁 Four changes from #AVLNFO.
🏴 Scott returns to the XI.
🇳🇬 Taiwo leads the line.
Introducing your Forest line-up for #NFOMUN 📋 pic.twitter.com/PSgzFLxPaV
Erik ten Hag is at the City Ground, and team news is imminent…
No risk of any Norwegian players getting on the scoresheet today, of course.
Nottingham Forest’s last home league game against Man United will be one they want to forget.
In February 1999, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer came off the bench to score four times, in an 8-1 thrashing.
Wonder if there’ll be any ‘Super Sub’ action today…
The team news drops in just over ten minutes time.
And what a few days for Manchester United as well. After conceding two own goals in the closing minutes to be held in the Europa League on Thursday, the Red Devils will be eager to make an impression from the beginning.
And in the race for the Champions League places, they got two boosts yesterday, with Newcastle United and Spurs both losing their league games.
Currently in fourth, Manchester United go third with a point – and six points clear of 5th-placed Tottenham with a game in hand if they win.
But Erik ten Hag will have one eye on the trip to Sevilla on Thursday too…
What are Nottingham Forest fans thinking right now? They’re in the relegation places at the moment, but it’s so tight, any positive result will change that.
Forest need a point to get out of the drop zone – and throw Everton into 18th place.
Three points will see them leapfrog Leeds at the bottom too.
Nottingham Forest have not won a league game in which they have conceded this season.
Man United have won all three of their meetings with Forest so far this season to nil – 3-0 in the Premier League, and then 3-0 and 2-0 in the League Cup.
That first goal is going to be crucial…
Hello and welcome to Sportsmail’s live blog covering today’s action from the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest are in danger of falling back out of the Premier League a year after their return, and need every point they can get.
But Man United will have a score to settle after conceding twice late on Thursday, and know a win today will be doubly important after Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur slipped up yesterday.
It’s all to play for at both ends of the table, and kick-off is at 4.30pm.
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