Nottingham Forest tightened their grip on third place in the Premier League after running out 1-0 winners over Manchester United on Tuesday night.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s charges took the lead in the fifth minute through former Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga and never looked back.
Elanga picked the ball up inside Nottingham Forest’s half, sprinted around 70 yards and fired in a low finish into the bottom corner from 15 yards out.
Man United had no reply against Elanga’s goal, which proved the difference between the two sides at the City Ground.
Forest cult hero Andy Reid loved what he saw from Elanga as he delivered an emphatic verdict on the Reds star.
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Andy Reid hails Nottingham Forest star Anthony Elanga as Manchester United slated for offloading him
Reid described Elanga as “one of the quickest players in the Premier League”, saying he’s a nightmare for opposition defenders and a joy to watch.
“Anthony Elanga has got incredible pace,” Reid told BBC Radio 5 Live. “He has to be one of the quickest players in the Premier League.
“The way he carries the ball, strong and his technical ability – he is able to go whichever side he wants to go. He is so difficult to defend against.”
Later on, Reid added: “Anthony Elanga has been the best player on the pitch. He is a joy to watch and he scares the life out of defenders.”
And at full-time, Reid admitted he was baffled by Man United’s decision to sell Elanga for such a low fee, while Forest were praised for their “incredible” bit of business.
“Anthony Elanga was the best player on the pitch,” said Reid.
“By far the most dangerous, Every time he got on the ball the crowd got to the edge of their seats. He was ghosting past players.
“It is incredible to think Manchester United sold him for just £12million (£15million) given how toothless they looked at times tonight and the fact they had to bring on Harry Maguire up top.
“An incredible piece of business by Forest to bring him in because he was the best player out there tonight.”
What Ruben Amorim said about Anthony Elanga
Elanga was at Man United from the age of 12 up until 2023, when he was sold to Forest at age 21.
Elanga made 55 appearances for the Red Devils and scored four goals, but Erik ten Hag felt the winger wasn’t going to make the grade and allowed him to leave.
Now, the Sweden international looks likely to play in the Champions League next season, while his former club’s hopes of qualification now rest on their Europa League campaign.
However, Man United manager Ruben Amorim stressed that players – and coaches – simply don’t have the time to develop at Old Trafford because of the pressures of the job.
“In Manchester United, you don’t have the time,” Amorim said when asked about Elanga’s impact at Forest. “I will not have the time. We have to get it right fast.
“You are not talking about players that didn’t play for Manchester United. They were here playing for Manchester United. Here, the pressure is too big sometimes.”
