Anthony Elanga’s stunning solo goal saw Nottingham Forest maintain their Champions League charge with a win against the forward’s former club Manchester United.
Fresh from reaching their first FA Cup semi-final in 34 years, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side continued their remarkable campaign by completing a Premier League double against the Red Devils.
United academy graduate Elanga did the damage with an electrifying early run and a low strike that proved enough after Murillo cleared Harry Maguire’s stoppage-time effort off the line to seal third-placed Forest a 1 -0 victory.
The 22-year-old was the only change from the side that started Saturday’s penalty shoot-out win against Brighton and took only five minutes to justify his inclusion, racing from well inside his own half to punish lax defending with a precise finish.
Diogo Dalot saw a first-half header hit the crossbar but, like so many times this season, toothless United failed to capitalise on periods in the ascendancy, with substitute Maguire denied a leveller at the death by Murillo.
There was a great atmosphere before and after Tuesday’s match at the City Ground, where chants about their impending trip to Wembley were followed five minutes in by Elanga’s name echoing around the ground.
After Matz Sels unconvincingly dealt with Bruno Fernandes’ long-range effort, the resulting corner was eventually headed away for the rocket-heeled forward to burst forward from midway inside the Forest half.
Elanga confidently strode over the halfway line, shrugged off a challenge from Alejandro Garnacho and continued to hit a low left-footed drive past Andre Onana from just inside the 18-yard box.
Him. pic.twitter.com/sF7DjJL6T2
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 1, 2025
Patrick Dorgu and the backtracking Noussair Mazraoui should have done better and Forest continued to unsettle the visitors with their directness.
Fernandes saw a header saved and Casemiro put one wide as Ruben Amorim’s men sought parity, with Dalot coming closest when nodding a corner onto the bar in the 28th minute.
Forest made two changes and switched to a back three after standout right-back Ola Aina limped down the tunnel as half-time approached on a night when the visitors lacked attacking threat.
United striker Rasmus Hojlund replaced Manuel Ugarte at the break and immediately saw a shot deflected into the side-netting, with Casemiro seeing a header held from the corner that followed.
Onana superbly stopped a header from the offside Ryan Yates, who soon drew a foul from Casemiro that led the frustrated midfielder to be booked.
Forest fans bellowed for a red after he came together with Morgan Gibbs-White shortly after. The midfielder escaped and Amorim wisely withdrew him to a cacophony of boos at the City Ground, where Garnacho was desperately trying to level.
Having bent one shot off target, seen another blocked and then dragged wide, Forest fans would then cheer the 20-year-old’s most wayward strike yet.
Amorim expressed frustration at perceived time-wasting and Dorgu had a header saved by Sels, who saw United substitute Mason Mount strike a 20-yard effort narrowly wide.
Maguire came on as a makeshift striker as United chased an equaliser, with the towering defender heading wide in stoppage time and being stopped from prodding home by Murillo on the line.
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