Manchester United took another step towards securing Champions League qualification with a commanding victory over relegation strugglers Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon, with that 2-0 win marking a fine weekend in which top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United both slipped up.
Despite having had a mounting injury list heading into the trip to the City Ground – with that only exacerbated by the loss of Marcel Sabitzer in the warm-up – the Red Devils put that to one side to deservedly seal the points yesterday, with fleet-footed enigma, Antony bagging a goal and an assist amid what was a fine collective performance.
Although the Brazilian was heavily involved in United’s two goals on the day, it was teammate Bruno Fernandes who truly stole the show in his playmaking berth, with the Portugal international racking up six key passes as a marker of his relentless, attacking threat.
The 28-year-old – who led the way with a standout match rating of 9.1 as per Sofascore – was hailed as “pure quality” and a “striker’s dream” by club legend Roy Keane following that classy showing, with the former Sporting CP man also unfortunate not to have walked away with a goal for himself, after repeatedly being denied by the sprawling Keylor Navas.
With Erik ten Hag’s side having largely dominated proceedings with Fernandes pulling the strings – enjoying 68% possession – the visitors were also in need of a strong showing defensively, as the returning Victor Lindelof took charge of a rather makeshift back four.
How did Lindelof perform against Forest?
Fears were likely brewing among United supporters following the news prior to the match that Lisandro Martinez is set to be out for the remainder of the season, while centre-back colleague Raphael Varane is also likely to be absent over the coming weeks, with the pair having been forced off during the midweek draw with Sevilla.
The loss of Ten Hag’s starting defensive duo was further compounded by the continued absence of Luke Shaw who missed the trip to Nottingham, with that further limiting the possible options at the heart of the backline.
As such, the former Ajax boss was forced to offer a nod back to the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer regime by partnering the aforementioned Lindelof alongside club captain Harry Maguire, with the duo having previously been rather peripheral figures in the Premier League this term.
While Maguire notably endured a shaky start – having picked up an early booking for wrestling Taiwo Awoniyi to the ground and almost giving away a penalty for handball – it was the Sweden international who truly stepped up, having been simply “imperious” throughout the contest, according to writer Dominic Booth.
The former Benfica ace made a truly “unflappable return” to the side – in the words of Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst – on what was just his sixth league start of the season, notably winning four of his five total duels as a sign of the 28-year-old’s defensive dominance.
The calm and composed defender was also a real asset on the ball after enjoying a standout 95% pass accuracy rate from his 73 touches, while also showcasing a willingness to drive forward from deep after completing both of his attempted dribbles.
As Luckhurst noted in his post-match, player ratings piece for MEN, Lindelof ‘barely gave the Forest forwards a kick’ such was the remarkable nature of his performance, with the £120k-per-week rock undoubtedly helping to ease the loss of both Martinez and Varane.
Of course, doubts remain over the 58-cap gem’s long-term future at Old Trafford amid talk of a summer departure, although on the evidence of Sunday’s performance, he can certainly be an asset in the short-term at least.