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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Daniel Murphy

Diogo Dalot's celebrations and more moments you might have missed from Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest

Manchester United returned to their best with an excellent performance in a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

It was made even more impressive by the fact United added two more players to their injury list before kick-off. Eight players were already unavailable before Tyrell Malacia didn't make the trip with a sore knee and Marcel Sabitzer picked up a groin injury in the warm-up, seeing him replaced in the starting XI by Christian Eriksen.

The Dane was one of many excellent performers as United put in a confident and exciting display, winning through goals from Antony and Diogo Dalot. Here are four things you may have missed from the game.

ALSO READ: United player ratings as Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes good vs Forest

Ten Hag not happy

It was a wild start to the game as United could have taken the lead in the opening seconds if Felipe didn't get in the way of Jadon Sancho's effort and then Forest took the ascendency. The home side looked dangerous and Harry Maguire in particular was struggling to deal with their pace.

The centre-back picked up an early booking after he was turned by striker Taiwo Awoniyi on the halfway line and then dragged him down to the ground in fear of him advancing on goal. It was a fair booking but the captain or Ten Hag was not best pleased, with the manager arguing with the fourth official about the decision.

Casemiro leads the side

Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes stole the headlines with their excellent performances but it's no surprise United were much better with Casemiro back again. The Brazilian lynchpin has missed the last four domestic games through suspension and his presence has been a huge miss.

United are much better with him in the side, not only for his immense quality but his leadership as well. Casemiro displayed those qualities in the first half as he quietly pulled Fernandes aside during a break in play and advised him to be more patient on the ball. It worked a treat as Fernandes was influential in the opening goal and put in a sublime display.

Martial and Fernandes debate

Fernandes and the lively Anthony Martial had an interesting exchange late in the first half. The former had sent one of many good crosses into the box and on this occasion, there was no one on hand to convert it.

Fernandes took umbrage with that and appeared to tell Martial to attack the ball when he sends into the area. The Frenchman didn't take it lying down, though, and argued back with his teammate seemingly explaining he hadn't expected the pass to be made.

Did you spot them all?

Dalot got the crucial second goal after receiving Antony's clever through ball and lifting it over Navas. It was the full-back's first-ever Premier League goal and understandably he was delighted.

So much so that he managed to sneak several different celebrations into one. Did you spot them all? It started with a classic finger-wag as he wheeled away in jubilation before he jumped to a sudden halt to drop a 'pulse check' maneuver. There was a brief moment of doubt when he wondered where his teammates were but once he knew they were closing in he then confidently headed towards the stands to nod and shout with supporters.

But wait! There's more. He was shepherded away from the stands by stewards wearing a face of 'yeah, I just did that' before the headline act. After sharing handshakes with some of his teammates, he then clasped hands with Antony and they both held the position and stared at each other before bursting into laughter. There was still room to make a 'C' gesture with his hand, squeeze in some fist pumps and lovingly tap the crest but then it was time to restart the match.

You can't blame a man for making the most of his moment.

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