Nottingham Forest’s Carabao Cup run came to an end at the semi-final stage as they lost 2-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford in the second leg, being beaten 5-0 on aggregate.
Head coach Steve Cooper had been keen for his team to at least put in a good performance at Old Trafford. And after United saw most of the ball in the opening few minutes, the visitors grew into the first half, with Emmanuel Dennis and Renan Lodi making a couple of driving runs.
It was Wayne Hennessey who was called into action first, however. After making a comfortable save to thwart a curling effort from Antony, he then instinctively stuck out a leg to deny Casemiro on the half hour.
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Forest had two good chances of their own before the break. Brennan Johnson fired straight at Tom Heaton after powering into the box, then Dennis struck teammate Sam Surridge with a first-time effort.
But it was the hosts who went closest to a breakthrough. Antony whistled a rasping shot narrowly over the bar, then Wout Weghorst struck the post with a free header.
Scott McKenna survived a penalty shout in the second half, before Hennessey denied Alejandro Garnacho. But a quickfire double from Anthony Martial and Fred in the second half killed off any hopes Forest had of securing a positive result on the night. Here’s how Reds reporter Sarah Clapson rated the Forest players at Old Trafford.
Wayne Hennessey: The arrival of Keylor Navas will have created an interesting dynamic. The summer signing responded by making some decent stops before United made the breakthrough. Rating: 7/10
Neco Williams: Put forward a decent case to keep his place at right-back against Leeds United at the weekend. A few tough moments but generally did okay. Rating: 6.5/10
Willy Boly: Will rue the error which led to United’s opening goal. Forest had looked fairly solid as a back line until that point. Rating: 6/10
Scott McKenna: Probably a bit fortunate to survive a penalty shout in the second half - and his expression suggested he knew it. Faces a fight to keep his place, though. Rating: 6/10
Renan Lodi: Has become one of Forest’s most consistent players since finding his form. Can be pleased with his performance in a tough game. Rating: 7/10
Orel Mangala: Chipped in with some important defensive work in the opening stages, to help the Reds get a foothold in the game. Forest could still do with more from him, though. Rating: 6/10
Remo Freuler: Might not have caught the eye, but he didn’t half do a lot of important work in helping to shield the back four in the first half. Will no doubt have enjoyed leading the team out. Rating: 6/10
Gustavo Scarpa: Continues to look really promising. Put in some lovely deliveries from set-pieces and wasn’t afraid of getting stuck in. More to come from the Brazilian. Rating: 7/10
Brennan Johnson: Didn’t always see a lot of the ball, but when he did get hold of it managed to cause a few problems. Had a good chance in the first half, although Surridge will feel he should have passed. Rating: 6.5/10
Emmanuel Dennis: A late call-up to the XI after an injury to Jesse Lingard in the warm-up. Looked like he had a point to prove following a month of speculation. Can’t fault his effort, even if he didn’t always get it right. Rating: 5.5/10
Sam Surridge: If only he hadn’t been in the way of Dennis’ effort in the first half. Had a decent chance to get on the scoresheet late on, too. Rating: 6/10
Subs
Alex Mighten (for Johnson, 64mins): Brought a bit of energy when he came on. Rating: 6/10
Danilo (for Freuler, 64mins): Tried his luck with a late effort and looked to make a positive impression. Rating: 6/10
Serge Aurier (for Lodi, 65mins): Seems to have suffered a drop in form of late. Rating: 5.5/10
Ollie Hammond (for Scarpa, 86mins): Valuable experience for the substitute. Will have enjoyed his few minutes on the Old Trafford pitch. Rating: 6/10
Detlef Esapa Osong (for Surridge, 86mins): A memorable moment for the youngster, earning his first-team debut on a big stage. Rating: 6/10
Subs not used: G Shelvey, Cook, Worrall, Gibson-Hammond.
Who was your Forest man of the match? Have your say in the comments below
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