Dalot’s strike seals win for Manchester United at Nottingham Forest

Sometimes disappointment is merely opportunity in disguise. With Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia joining Manchester United’s lengthening injury list, Erik ten Hag might have been wondering who to select at left-back. Step forward Diogo Dalot, literally and metaphorically.

The Portuguese right-back not only negated Nottingham Forest’s biggest threat, Brennan Johnson, he also took every opportunity to step into central midfield to support Casemiro, freeing up the recalled Christian Eriksen, and finally converted the clinching goal 14 minutes from time to help United climb into third place in the Premier League.

It was Dalot’s first goal in this division in his fifth season at the club and one neither he nor the United fans who celebrated enthusiastically behind that goal will forget as they continue their pursuit of glory on multiple fronts.

Champions League qualification is now well within their control as they return their attentions to attempting to reach the last four of the Europa League, in Thursday’s level second leg away to Sevilla, and the final of the FA Cup, with Brighton standing in their way at Wembley on Sunday. Nottingham Forest, now 10 without a win, remain in the relegation zone.

Antony, continuing his hot form to help United cope without Marcus Rashford, scored the first goal and made the second. Dalot, receiving Casemiro’s tight pass, clipped the ball forward for Antony and ran on to take an exquisite return pass and lift his shot over Keylor Navas. Taking on this inverted full-back role just goes to show the adaptability within United’s back-up squad.

United had already had to name three quarters of a new defence due to injury when Marcel Sabitzer pulled up in the warm-up to be replaced by Eriksen. West Ham’s recovery for a draw against against Arsenal had not boosted Forest’s spirits either in the battle to avoid relegation, but this game started in open fashion.

Jadon Sancho should have scored after Bruno Fernandes’ cross was parried his way by Navas but the winger’s shot was cleared by Felipe, again featuring in a five-man Forest backline.

Harry Maguire, playing on the right with Victor Lindelöf on the left of this back-to-the-future central defence, in the absence of Raphaël Varane and Lisandro Martínez, was immediately targeted by Forest.

The United captain hauled Taiwo Awoniyi to the ground as Forest’s No 9, starting for the first in three months, prepared to sprint away from his own half onto a through ball. Maguire protested his innocence vehemently but it was clear Forest sensed possible vulnerability.

United survived a VAR check when Renan Lodi’s corner struck Maguire on the arm and, from Morgan Gibbs-White’s delivery from the other side, Scott McKenna headed against a post.

Antony slides in to open the scoring for Manchester United at the City Ground. Photograph: Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images

But, with Fernandes playing further forward again with Eriksen back alongside Casemiro, United looked increasingly in control. Navas saved well from Fernandes and it was the Portuguese’s through ball that led to the first goal.

Danilo, distracted by Felipe, dithered deep inside his own half and Anthony Martial’s tackle invited Fernandes to play the perfect first-time pass. When Navas parried, Antony prodded home the rebound for his eighth United goal this season.

Forest’s cautious shape against a side who had already beaten them three times previously this season was understandable but it did invite United onto them.

No doubt Steve Cooper was willing to take his chances on the counter-attack. Indeed, Forest could have equalised when Dalot’s heavy touch, when intercepting Gibbs-White’s intended pass for Johnson, offered Awoniyi a clear shot at goal. But he lifted his effort over the bar.

Fernandes could have scored a hat-trick himself either side of half-time, heading wide Eriksen’s brilliant left-footed cross before crashing a shot against the crossbar via Navas’s finger-tip. The former Real Madrid goalkeeper also touched Fernandes’ low shot past a post as United pressed.

In Rashford’s continued absence with a groin injury, Martial did a decent job but should have wrapped up the victory, heading wide when free from Casemiro’s centre. That was his final contribution, as Wout Weghorst came on.

Antony continued to look lively, even going outside onto his right foot to draw another fine save from Navas, before he helped Dalot confirm United’s victory.