Nottingham Forest moved a step closer to qualifying for the Champions League as Anthony Elanga’s superb solo goal sealed a 1-0 win against Manchester United on Tuesday.
Elanga returned to haunt his former club with a dazzling effort that took the winger over half the length of the pitch before he delivered a clinical finish.
The 22-year-old Swede was sold by United for £15 million ($19 million) in 2023 after being deemed surplus to requirements by then manager Erik ten Hag.
Forest have been the beneficiaries of that mistake and Elanga’s stunning strike at the City Ground helped Nuno Espirito Santo’s side cement their grip on third place.
Sitting eight points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea, who face Tottenham on Thursday, with eight games left, Forest are within touching distance of reaching the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81.
Just a year after battling to narrowly avoid relegation, Forest are enjoying an unexpected fairytale season that also includes progressing to the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 34 years.
Although his players were drained by Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Brighton, which they won on penalties after extra-time, Nuno said Forest would adopt a “no excuses” policy against United.
Despite the absences of leading scorer Chris Wood and winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, Forest rose to Nuno’s challenge.
Forest have completed their first league double over United
since 1991-92.
The last time they avoided defeat against the Old Trafford club twice in the league in a single season was 1994-95, when they finished third.
It was a first defeat in eight games in all competitions for United, who still haven’t won successive league matches this term.
United won at Leicester in their last game before
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