Manchester United suffered their ninth defeat of the Premier League campaign yesterday. The Red Devils lacked the cutting edge in the final third against Nottingham Forest and were beaten 2-1 on the road.
Marcus Rashford, who led the line in the absence of Rasmus Hojlund and Anthony Martial, scored the consolation goal for the Red Devils. The fans will no doubt be disappointed with the result.
On the opposition side, there were plenty of positives to take away from the game. One of them was the form of former Red Devil Anthony Elanga, who made his 10th goal contribution of the season.
The Swede struggled for playing time under manager Erik ten Hag last term and he was restricted to just 418 minutes in the top-flight, providing a solitary assist in the 2-1 win over Liverpool.
Since his move to Forest last summer, he has become one of their most influential players. Elanga has played on the left wing, right wing and has also operated from the second striker role.
Against United, the €18 million-rated star featured on the right flank and was brilliant with 11 duels and five tackles won. He provided three key passes including an assist for Morgan Gibb-White’s winner.
The 21-year-old definitely outshined Antony who struggled to make any meaningful impact from the same position for United. The Brazilian was substituted before the hour mark with a knock.
Amad Diallo showed plenty of promise in his cameo after replacing Antony, but the big question is whether United are regretting parting ways with Elanga during the last transfer window.
The winger looks to be a confidence player and Forest seem to be getting the best out of him. He has 10 goal involvements, the same as Bruno Fernandes, who has been United’s most creative outlet.
Only time will tell whether the decision to sell Elanga was right or wrong. For now, the forward is enjoying the best phase of his career. He secured a victory for Forest yesterday at the expense of another United loss.
Stats from Sofascore.com & Transfermarkt.com
