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