Manchester United continued their impressive late-season run. Facing a Nottingham Forest squad already safe from relegation, yet still smarting from their Europa League semi-final elimination against Aston Villa (1-0, 0-4), the Red Devils quickly seized the initiative, primarily due to Luke Shaw’s early goal.

The England international, with 34 caps, who had not scored in nearly three years, broke the deadlock just four minutes into the match with a magnificent, low half-volley from the edge of the penalty area. Michael Carrick’s men asserted their dominance, creating numerous opportunities throughout the first half but failed to extend their lead before the interval, despite several clear-cut chances for Bryan Mbeumo.

Against the flow of play, Nottingham Forest managed to equalize soon after the second half commenced. From a cleverly worked short corner, Morato capitalized on a lapse in marking to head home in the 53rd minute. However, Manchester United’s response was almost instantaneous, albeit following a highly contentious incident. After a control by Mbeumo that appeared to involve his arm inside the box – an action that went unpunished following a lengthy VAR review – Cunha promptly restored the lead for the Mancunians in the 55th minute.

Bruno Fernandes equals Henry and De Bruyne

Bryan Mbeumo, despite his earlier profligacy and the controversial moment, eventually found his reward in the 76th minute, tapping in a powerful cross from Bruno Fernandes at close range. This marked the Portuguese maestro’s 20th assist of the season, a remarkable achievement that draws him level with Premier League legends Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne in the all-time records. Nottingham Forest injected renewed suspense into the game when Gibbs-White scored just two minutes later (78th minute), but United steadfastly maintained their advantage until the final whistle, concluding a truly pulsating encounter.