Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White added to Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana’s misery, admitting he didn’t expect to score in their stunning 3-2 victory at Old Trafford.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side earned a deserved win with goals from Nikola Milenkovic, Gibbs-White, and Chris Wood, handing United their second consecutive defeat under Ruben Amorim.
Gibbs-White’s goal was laced with fortune, as his scuffed shot from 20 yards somehow slipped past Onana, who endured a torrid evening. The £47 million goalkeeper was also at fault for Forest’s winning goal, capping off a night to forget.
Speaking to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, Gibbs-White was candid about his unlikely strike. “I didn’t at all, to be fair,” he admitted when asked if he thought it would go in.
“I don’t want to discredit Onana, he’s a great goalkeeper. Incredible keeper. But when I first saw the scuff I thought ‘ah he’s going to pick it up’. You count them all, don’t you! I’m happy to contribute to the team and help get three points.”
Gibbs-White was instrumental throughout, setting up Chris Wood’s header for what proved to be the winner. Onana misjudged the flight of the cross, allowing Wood to head into the far corner. The New Zealand striker praised Gibbs-White for his delivery.
“Morgs [Gibbs-White] has put in a fantastic delivery, he’s got quality, the boy,” said Wood.
“It’s just about finding areas to cause confusion. Everybody knows the emphasis on set-pieces these days, it’s huge, a big avenue for and against. We did well today.”
The result leaves United languishing in 13th place, while Forest have climbed to fifth, now just two points behind Manchester City.
After the game, Amorim was frank about his side’s shortcomings, lamenting their inability to create chances or maintain focus.
“Tough game. We started really bad, the first play we suffered a goal and then it’s hard to try to fight. We then controlled the game and had a lot of situations,” Amorim said.
“We improved the movement in the last third. We managed to draw the game [equalise] and then at half-time we were ready to go for the win and then started really bad. [We conceded] two goals, then we tried a lot of things with not a lot of quality.
“We didn’t have many situations to score. Tough game in a tough moment but we have to continue the job. This is a long journey. We are improving in some aspects. We have to win games to help us improve the team.”
Forest’s win marks another step forward in their impressive start to the season, while United face mounting pressure to turn their fortunes around.
