Anthony Elanga’s blistering, counter-attacking goal must have had Manchester United fans thinking of the glory days.
Too bad the former Red Devils youngster was teaching them a lesson while playing for the opposition.
The winger scored the only goal as Nottingham Forest completed the double over United on Tuesday night.
Elanga’s fifth minute strike capped a swift counter-attack from the hosts following a Red Devils corner.
It saw the Sweden international cover 85 metres in just nine seconds after Forest cleared the ball.
The former United starlet’s breakaway rekindled his old side’s former glories under Sir Alex Ferguson.
During his title-winning streak between 2007 and 2009, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney regularly combined to score on the counter attack.
Most notably, Ronaldo started and finished a free-flowing move involving Rooney and Park Ji-Sung in the Champions League.
The Portuguese forward sprinted more than half the length of the pitch to get on the end of his team-mate’s cross against Arsenal in their 2009 semi-final clash.
Sadly for United fans, Elanga’s effort was little more than a reminder of what could have been after coming through the club’s academy.
Having joined the Red Devils aged 13, he spent eight years at Old Trafford before moving to Forest in 2023.
Elanga has since become a key part of Forest’s incredible form this season as he taught his former side a lesson on Tuesday.
GettyAmorim took aim at Elanga’s United performances following the defeat[/caption]
However, Ruben Amorim instead took a swipe at the 22-year-old’s performances during his time in Manchester despite joining the club after Elanga’s exit.
Asked whether it is hard to see him performing so well for his current club, Amorim said: “No, they have to perform at Manchester United.
“We can’t look at the players that go away. They had their chance at Manchester United.”
It follows similar upturns in form for Marcus Rashford and Antony following their January loan moves to Aston Villa and Real Betis, respectively.
Ronaldo himself even made a slow start on the wing for United under Ferguson after joining United as an 18-year-old.
The forward failed to score more than 10 league goals until his fourth season in England, but was handled with patience by the legendary manager.
As for Elanga, he now has six goals and eight assists in 30 Premier League appearances.
Only Chris Wood has scored more league goals for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
His latest strike was enough to land him the player of the match award from Ally McCoist at the City Ground.
The talkSPORT co-host had been on commentary duty for TNT Sports and reflected on the match on Wednesday morning.
McCoist told Breakfast: “Anybody that scores a goal like that and the only goal of the game, I don’t care what anybody says, has to be man of the match.
“The boy hit us with the stats, seemingly Elanga runs 85 metres in 9 seconds with the ball, that’s what they said he did. He ran 85 metres in 9 seconds with the ball, what a goal.”
Dean Saunders also added: “Do you know what, Carl Lewis and Linford Christie would beat him but unfortunately they haven’t got a football brain.
“So if you’ve got pace and a brain, you’re dangerous and he obviously has.”
Forest’s win over United keeps them third in the table with just eight matches remaining as they close in on a European return.
It would be their first continental campaign for 30 years, whilst they last played in the Champions League in 1980 when it was still the European Cup.
Forest could also still end their 35-year wait for major silverware in the FA Cup after reaching the last four on Saturday.
The two-time winners face Manchester City in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium on April 26.
