LONDON: Nottingham Forest beat Manchester United 1-0 to close in on Champions League football next season as Bukayo Saka scored in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Fulham on his return from injury on Tuesday.

Former United winger Anthony Elanga came back to haunt his former club with a stunning solo effort after just five minutes at the City Ground to earn all three points for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

Third-placed Forest extend their lead over Newcastle in sixth to 10 points.

Thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competitions this season, the top five will almost certainly qualify for the Champions League.

Forest are two-time European champions but have not played in the continent’s elite competition since they were holders in 1980.

Elanga was discarded by United in 2023 after a bright start to his career at Old Trafford, but is one of many Forest success stories fulfilling his potential under Nuno.

The Swedish international collected possession deep inside his own half but showed blistering pace to burst into the United box before firing low past Andre Onana.

United remain without two consecutive Premier League wins all season with the Red Devils languishing down in 13th.

Arsenal maintained some pressure on leaders Liverpool by cutting the gap at the top to nine points. Saka stole the headlines by coming off the bench to head in on his first appearance since December 21.

Mikel Merino’s deflected effort had given Arsenal a first-half lead. However, victory came at a cost as key defender Gabriel Magalhaes limped off injured.

Rodrigo Muniz pulled a goal back in stoppage time, but defeat is a blow to Fulham’s ambitions of European football next season.

Saka’s introduction was greeted with the biggest cheer of the night until that point at the Emirates Stadium when he replaced Ethan Nwaneri 25 minutes from time. Saka was in the right place to head in from close range after Gabriel Martinelli flicked on Merino’s cross.

At the bottom of the table, Wolves pulled ever closer to survival with a 1-0 win over West Ham as Jorgen Strand Larsen scored the only goal at Molineux.

CITY REACH FA CUP SEMIS

Late on Sunday, Manchester City came from behind to reach the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth, but victory came at a cost as Erling Haaland hobbled off injured.

Haaland had seen a first-half penalty sav­ed before Evanilson put the Cherries in front.

The Norwegian made amends by equalising four minutes into the second period before being forced off with an ankle injury.

His replacement, Omar Marmoush, took just two minutes to score the winner from a second assist by the impressive Nico O’Reilly.

City will face Nottingham Forest in the last four after reaching the semi-finals for a record seventh consecutive season. A Tyler Adams handball then gifted City the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot.

But for the third time in his last six spot-kicks, Haaland failed to find the net as Kepa Arrizabalaga made a fine save.

That miss seemed to be still in Ha­aland’s mind when he dinked over Kepa and over the bar with just the Spanish goalkeeper to beat moments later.

City were then hit with a sucker punch by Bournemouth on 21 minutes. Nunes, deputising in an unfamiliar right-back role, gave the ball away to David Brooks, whose cross was turned across goal by Justin Kluivert and bundled in from point-blank range by Evanilson.

Guardiola responded by introducing 20-year-old midfielder O’Reilly as a makeshift left-back. O’Reilly made an instant impact with a rampaging run down the left and inch-perfect cross as this time Haaland did not miss for his 30th goal of the season.

If Kepa was a Bournemouth hero in the first-half, he was at fault for the winner as Marmoush’s effort slipped through his grasp from O’Reilly’s pass.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2025