At the weekend the lasting shot was Ryan Yates haring towards the Nottingham Forest supporters in celebration and here another episode at breakneck speed earned victory. This time the subject was Anthony Elanga, who tore up the City Ground turf, eating up 85 metres in nine exhilarating seconds, to score the only goal of the game against his former club and maintain Forest’s unlikely push to qualify for the Champions League.
The other moment that Forest may look back on as pivotal if they go on to earn a place in the game’s grandest club competition arrived six minutes and 18 seconds into stoppage time. Harry Maguire, thrown up front as an unconventional striker, a needs-must move by Ruben Amorim, prodded the ball goalwards but Murillo hacked it off the line with almost the last kick of the game. A few seconds later, with Forest’s first league double over United since 1991-92, when Brian Clough was in charge, secured, Rockin’ All Over the World blared over the speakers and the locals set off a round of fireworks that soared into the sky above Trent Bridge.
Nuno Espírito Santo, the Forest head coach who has levered this side into the elite, shut his eyes as he relived the clearance. “It was huge for us, better than a goal, wasn’t it?
“We were against the ropes but it was about heart, belief. I’m very, very proud of the players. When you don’t have energy, we have to have belief. What can I do to stop the ball going in the net? It’s a good example of the dedication and the commitment of the players.” This was another victory for Forest’s rearguard. Nikola Milenkovic and Morato, on as a substitute, both wellied the ball clear to huge cheers late on.
As Murillo fell to his knees to pray inside the six-yard box at the final whistle, a queue of teammates waited to embrace him. The last Forest player off the pitch was Yates, who joined the club aged eight and has played in the top five divisions of the pyramid, and is now dreaming of mixing it with European heavyweights. Forest are third, 10 points clear of Newcastle, who are sixth with two games in hand. Yates came out on top of a feud with Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho’s frustration was typified by his booking for booting the ball away in the second half, with United short of anything resembling attacking bite.
Diogo Dalot sent a first-half header against the woodwork and Mason Mount, on as a substitute, went close on his first appearance since December but, incredibly, the wait for Amorim’s side to earn back-to-back league wins goes on. “You’re not famous any more,” the Forest supporters sang and while that may not be true it was another sobering reminder of United’s current state.
Forest were, understandably, in a boisterous mood long before a ball was kicked but when the action began the home fans were quick to recognise their latest feat: reaching the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1991. “We’re going to Wembley,” was the chant that initially filled the cool Trent air.
United registered the first shot, Fernandes springing an effort on Matz Sels in the Forest goal and the subsequent corner proved the unlikely platform for Elanga’s fifth‑minute strike. Yates cleared a recycled Fernandes cross with a booming header and the ball looped over the referee, Jarred Gillett, and bounced about 10 yards outside the Forest 18-yard box. Elanga stormed on to the ball, controlling it with his studs and then advanced at speed, using both feet to keep the ball close.
He flew past halfway with Patrick Dorgu and Alejandro Garnacho in pursuit. Garnacho slid in to snatch possession but ended up on his backside and Dorgu struggled to stay on his tail. Noussair Mazraoui was torn between pressuring Elanga and backpedalling. The run of Morgan Gibbs‑White, to Elanga’s left, helped frazzle United.
By the time Dorgu went to ground it was too late as Elanga drove into the widening gap between Mazraoui and Dorgu and sent a low left-foot shot into the corner. Elanga started his run inside the Forest box, quickly reading the fallout of Yates’s headed clearance, but took just two touches inside the Forest half before motoring upfield. Yates laughed at being informed he was credited with the assist. “I headed it in the six-yard box,” he said with a smile.
United again seemed to pin their hopes on Fernandes launching a comeback. Rasmus Højlund arrived at half-time in place of Manuel Ugarte and Christian Eriksen replaced Casemiro approaching the hour. But United did not truly threaten until Maguire’s cameo.
Forest were typically strong in defence, epitomised by Murillo’s late, late intervention. Neco Williams earlier made a superb block to thwart Garnacho late on. Yates, too, possibly made a match-winning intervention.
Garnacho effortlessly took down Fernandes’s diagonal pass and set about bamboozling Yates, stepping over the ball and then jinking inside. Job done, then? Garnacho took aim but Yates flung himself at the forward’s shot, blocking the ball with his right boot.
No wonder Yates celebrated with a fist pump towards the Brian Clough Stand. “Over the moon,” Nuno said after two superb wins in four days. “We are delighted.”
