Man Utd rescued by Amad stunner to derail dramatic Nottingham Forest comeback - 6 talking points - The Mirror

NOTTINGHAM FOREST 2-2 MANCHESTER UNITED: Sean Dyche oversaw a dramatic turnaround but Nottingham Forest couldn't hold on for the win at home to Manchester United

A quickfire double at the start of the second half saw Nottingham Forest come close to stunning Manchester United at the City Ground, only for Amad to volley home a stunning equaliser. United could have gone second in the Premier League with a win, but the point will still be a welcome sight for Ruben Amorim after his team trailed going into the final 10 minutes.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolo Savona netted within the space of three minutes to turn the game on its head after Casemiro had given United a half-time lead. However, Amad lashed the ball beyond Matz Sels from the edge of the box and the goal was allowed to stand after a VAR check.

Casemiro had earlier been given the freedom of the City Ground to send a free header into the bottom corner from a Bruno Fernandes set piece. However, the start of the second half provided a reminder that things aren't quite as desperate as they seem for Forest or as positive as they once seemed for their opponents.

Bruno Fernandes fired against the foot of the post as United looked to bring themselves level, but Forest kept creating themselves. Igor Jesus was inches away from making it 3-1 with 25 minutes remaining and that might have been too much for the visitors to come back from.

Ruben Amorim's team went into the game chasing a fourth straight victory and started on the front foot. Benjamin Sesko has yet to hit top gear following his summer move but got an early sight of goal - with his effort deflected off-target - and showed some decent hold-up play in the early knockings.

Forest began to grow into the game, with Callum Hudson-Odoi offering a threat from out on the left and Elliot Anderson battling hard in the middle. They also squandered a promising opening when Nicolo Savona broke free down the right but got his final ball wrong, while United themselves continued to impress in flashes and Amad's deflected effort forced Matz Sels into a sharp stop.

After snatching a lead and going in ahead at the break, United, might have expected their struggling opponents to crumble. The opposite was true, though, with Forest showing the kind of fight they will need to survive.

The hosts couldn't complete the job, though, and there may well be complaints about a handball in the build-up to the leveller. Here are Mirror Football's talking points from the City Ground.

1. Forest's corner curse continues

Last weekend, Forest conceded against Bournemouth from a corner they don't believe should have been given. History repeated itself this week, though things weren't quite as cut and dried.

There was no doubt that a Bournemouth boot touched the ball last before Marcus Tavernier's Olimpico last time out. Here, the question concerned whether Savona was able to keep the ball from going behind, and plenty of outside observers agreed with Savona that play should have continued.

One thing that is for sure is that Forest should have got closer to Casemiro from the corner, just as they should have kept out Tavernier's effort at the Vitality Stadium. Set piece frailty is hardly the earmark of a Sean Dyche side, and he'll have reason to be annoyed.

2. Amad on target in style

Amad is unlikely to score many better goals than the one on Saturday. The Ivorian's connection was as sweet as they come, with Sels powerless as the ball nestled in the back of his net.

Forest's complaint will be about what came before.. The ball appeared to strike Patrick Dorgu on the arm as it spun up a few seconds before Amad struck, but neither the on-field referee nor the video assistant felt it was anough to disallow the goal.

That's two United goals which brought Forest complaints and they'll have to show spirit to put it all behind them. Amad won't mind, though, and it could be a vital moment for the Ivorian and his team.

3. Savona's redemption

If Savona was allowing himself to stew on that corner drama in the first half, he was soon over it. The Italian isn't known for his goals - he had just two in Serie A for Juventus last term - but sometimes quick reactions are all you need.

During Ange Postecoglou's brief tenure, Forest's players often looked lost and unable to form a united front. The period featured players looking unsure of their exact role, and the Italian was one of them.

New boss Dyche has long been a man who builds from the back, whether that's in the middle or in the full-back positions. Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic might look like the most obvious beneficiaries, but they're not the only ones.

4. Amorim unchanged at last

It has taken a year, but Ruben Amorim at last named an unchanged Manchester United XI in the Premier League. He might feel he doesn't quite have the squad he needs to put his system into effect, but he at least has 11 players he is willing to trust to do it in back-to-back games..

That meant another start for Casemiro and a goal for the Brazilian. He might not be at his Real Madrid levels, or even the level he was in his first United season, but Amorim has found a way to use him.

“I think he gives a lot of experience. He's an example for everyone," Amorim recently said of Casemiro. “In the beginning, he was behind every midfielder, even Toby [Collyer], but he fought and he worked, and now he's back in the national team. He's so important for us.”

5. Lammens cool as a cucumber

There was a moment in the first half when Senne Lammens was given the closest thing a goalkeeper can get to a hospital pass. The ball was pinged in his direction at pace by a United defender, but he calmly controlled the ball and continued as if it was no big deal.

He remained a composed figure for the remainder of the first half, and didn't give the impression he could have done much with Forest's goals. One thing's for certain, though, and that's that he appeared unruffled throughout.

United were reluctant to throw the Belgian in from the start after his arrival from Royal Antwerp, with suggestions they were worried about over-exposing him to the pressure of the role. On current evidence, though, he's exactly the right fit.

6. The season is long

It feels like every week or two we're handed a definitive assessment of where Manchester United sit on the 'it's so over' to 'we're so back' scale. Sometimes we even get variations within the space of a single game, and it felt like today was one of those days.

As always, it can help to develop some perspective. The season doesn't end in November, and there's a long way to go from here for both United and Forest.

The challenge for managers is to block out the noise and get the message across to their players that things don't move as dramatically from one week to the next as some might have you believe. That is easier said than done, but any boss able to do just that is on to a winner.

Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.