Manchester United too strong for Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford

Marcus Rashford continued his rich vein of form as Manchester United closed in on the Premier League top four with a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

Rashford, fresh from an impressive World Cup campaign with England, scored the opener and made the second for Anthony Martial as United moved to within one point of fourth-placed Tottenham.

He was off the pitch by the time that Fred added late gloss to the victory that Rashford spearheaded.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Manchester United (@manchesterunited)

The 25-year-old has been back to his best this season and scored his eighth goal in 13 games for club and country, looking a real threat throughout the match.

The way he combined with Martial and Antony in attack suggests that United will fare just fine without the departed Cristiano Ronaldo.

And with the possibility of additions next month, Erik ten Hag's side will be making a real push to break into those Champions League places and stay in them through the second half of the season.

For Forest, who had a goal ruled out by VAR, this match went a little better than the last time they played United when they lost 8-1 in 1998, but they remain in the bottom three and with Chelsea to come on New Year's Day it does not get any easier.

Having conceded six at Manchester City and five at Arsenal, Steve Cooper’s side will have arrived at Old Trafford with a sense of trepidation about what was to come.

They had a taste of what might be in store as early as the fourth minute as Wayne Hennessey – making his first Premier League start since January – turned a Tyrell Malacia shot onto a post.

The next 15 minutes were actually of promise for Forest as they probed United without the prospect of creating anything and then it all fell