'A special player' - resurgent Elanga has Forest dreaming {Anthony Elanga had left Manchester United in the past. On Tuesday, they trailed in his wake}

Anthony Elanga had left Manchester United in the past. On Tuesday, they trailed in his wake

​In a recent Premier League match at the City Ground, Nottingham Forest secured a 1-0 victory over Manchester United, highlighted by a remarkable solo goal from Anthony Elanga. The former United player initiated a counterattack, sprinting 85 meters in just nine seconds to score the decisive goal. Despite efforts from Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho and Patrick Dorgu, they were unable to match Elanga's pace during this pivotal play. This win bolstered Forest's campaign for Champions League qualification, while United continued to struggle in their pursuit of European competition spots.

Alejandro Garnacho and Patrick Dorgu could not keep up with the 22-year-old as he burst from the edge of his own area on to Ryan Yates' defensive header, collected the ball and ran 70 yards. The Sweden winger still had the composure to find the bottom corner from 18 yards. A special moment - but he refused to celebrate against the club he joined as a 12-year-old.

​In a recent Premier League match at the City Ground, Nottingham Forest secured a 1-0 victory over Manchester United, highlighted by a remarkable solo goal from Anthony Elanga. The former United player initiated a counterattack, sprinting 85 meters in just nine seconds to score the decisive goal. Despite efforts from Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho and Patrick Dorgu, they were unable to match Elanga's pace during this pivotal play. This win bolstered Forest's campaign for Champions League qualification, while United continued to struggle in their pursuit of European competition spots.

A 1-0 win maintained Forest's relentless quest to reach the Champions League

A 1-0 win maintained Forest's relentless quest to reach the Champions League and left them third in the Premier League, with a 10-point lead over Newcastle in sixth.

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo admitted he had never seen a goal like it, while Forest captain Yates labelled his team-mate a "midfielder's dream". "It is about attacking the space and getting to the opposite goal as quick as I can. I saw the space and I believe I'm one of the fastest players in the league," Elanga told TNT Sports while holding his man-of-the-match award.

Elanga has played his part with his goals and eight assists, for which he is joint-seventh in the Premier League standings. And he's quick: Before Tuesday's game, the stats showed he had spent 1.17% of his time on the pitch this season sprinting - a Premier League high.

After Tuesday's goal, that figure will undoubtedly have improved. As Nuno said of his matchwinner: "He did it by himself. There is no better counter-attack. He is a special player."

e said: "We are talking about a lot of players who were at Manchester United who are doing right, but they had the chance here. At United, you don't have the time. I will not have the time. We have to get it right fast. "They were here and here the pressure is too big sometimes. Sometimes you don't have time and you should have time for these kids to develop. "For that you need a strong base. If you don't have it, we are not going to help our kids. They had their chances and sometimes the pressure playing for Manchester United is really big." There are clearly no regrets from Elanga, though, whose six-goal return is a season's best. "I made the right decision, 100%," Elanga told the Athletic in December. "I have not really spoken about this, but at the time at United, I was very young and I was coming into a team that was struggling.

The finish is something I have been trying to work on. Left foot or right foot, I am quite comfortable with both feet this season. "All you want to do is keep on improving. Coming here is about playing and developing. I appreciate Manchester United so much as I learned a lot there. "I am enjoying my football and I want to keep on going." His £15m move to Nottingham Forest in 2023 was meant to bring that enjoyment back into his game.