Marcus Rashford hit the winner and played a part – some might say – in Manchester United's first goal as the Red Devils beat City in Saturday's derby.

The in-form England international moved into early-career Cristiano Ronaldo territory by scoring in a seventh consecutive game for United, who have won nine in a row across all competitions.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Liverpool's campaign continued to unravel as they were battered 3-0 at Brighton and Hove Albion, and their neighbours Everton remain in deep relegation trouble after a home loss to fellow strugglers Southampton.

Another derby saw Nottingham Forest get the better of Leicester City, with Steve Cooper's team beginning to get a foothold in mid-table.

With the help of Opta data, Stats Perform examines key statistics from the Saturday's standout Premier League games.

Manchester United 2-1 Manchester City: Making his Marc again

Rashford has been a shining light for United since returning from the World Cup, scoring in all seven games for Erik ten Hag's team.

He is the first United player since Ronaldo in March-April 2008 to put together such a streak, while his run of goals in nine consecutive games at Old Trafford makes him the club's first player since Teddy Sheringham in September-November 2000 to enjoy that level of home form.

Bruno Fernandes got the equaliser, after an opener from City's Jack Grealish, with Rashford not flagged offside in the build-up after chasing the ball but not getting a touch prior to his Portuguese team-mate lashing past Ederson.

Rashford's close-range winner soon after, in the 82nd minute, was set up by Alejandro Garnacho, who at 18 years and 197 days became the youngest player to provide an assist in a Premier League Manchester derby.

City had just one shot on target, their joint-fewest in a Premier League match under Pep Guardiola.

Kevin De Bruyne set up Grealish's headed opener, reaching double figures in Premier League assists for a fifth season, with only Cesc Fabregas (6) doing so in more campaigns, but that was of no consolation as City saw their title hopes dented.

Brighton and Hove Albion 3-0 Liverpool: Worth the wait for Seagulls

Jurgen Klopp's reaction summed it up, when he said: "I think everybody with a Brighton shirt on or a Brighton heart enjoyed the game a lot and I don't think anybody with a Liverpool heart enjoyed it for a second."

This was a horror show for the Reds, suffering their first league defeat at Brighton since January 1961 (3-1). Liverpool had gone 10 unbeaten away to the Seagulls in the league before Solly March's double and Danny Welbeck's sublime goal left them reeling.

Liverpool have suffered six defeats now in 18 games in the competition this term, three times as many losses as they incurred in the entire 2021-22 Premier League campaign. It was a fifth league loss away from Anfield, their worst season total since also losing five in 2017-18. This season is not yet at its halfway point for Liverpool, who sit ninth.

This game kicked off at 3pm locally. It was the first Saturday 3pm league game Liverpool have lost since going down 2-0 to Hull in February 2017, ending a 32-game undefeated streak in that slot.

March has four goals in his last four games, which is as many as he managed in his first 156 in the Premier League.

Everton 1-2 Southampton: Ward-Prowse piles on misery for Lampard

Sitting second-bottom now, Everton are having a dismal time of it under Frank Lampard's leadership, losing four league games in a row at home for the first time since a seven-game streak in 1958. They are winless in seven in the league, their worst run since an eight-game sequence under Rafael Benitez in October-December 2021.

Amadou Onana put the hosts ahead, becoming the fourth Belgian player to score for Everton in the Premier League, after Romelu Lukaku, Kevin Mirallas and Marouane Fellaini.

But Saints captain James Ward-Prowse then took over, netting twice including the 16th direct free-kick goal of his Premier League career, putting him just two behind David Beckham's competition record.

It was his 12th such goal in away games, more than any player has managed in the Premier League, and only Matt Le Tissier (44) has managed more away goals in the Premier League era for Southampton than Ward-Prowse's haul of 28.

Nottingham Forest 2-0 Leicester City: Johnson's derby delight

Brennan Johnson hit both goals in the East Midlands showdown, doubling his Premier League tally for the season and becoming the second-youngest Forest player to score twice in a Premier League game (21y 236d). Roy Keane, who struck a double against Leeds in December 1992 (21y 117d), remains the youngest.

Morgan Gibbs-White, at 22 years and 352 days, became the youngest to have two assists in a Premier League game for Forest.

Leicester are free-falling, with this a fourth consecutive league defeat. Remarkably, it is not yet their worst run of the campaign, having lost six in a row in August and September.

They have yet to win a point this season from a losing position, the only Premier League team to fail on that count.

Steve Cooper admitted Dean Henderson being ineligible for Nottingham Forest's EFL Cup semi-final tie against Manchester United "put a dampener" on Wednesday's quarter-final win against Wolves.

Henderson was the hero in a tense penalty shoot-out at the City Ground after Raul Jimenez cancelled out Willy Boly's opener in a 1-1 draw, denying Ruben Neves and Joe Hodge as Forest triumphed 4-3.

However, the on-loan goalkeeper will be unable to feature in the final four after Forest were drawn to face his parent club United, leaving Cooper frustrated.

Asked about Henderson's situation in his post-match press conference, Cooper said: "It is unfortunate. That has put a bit of a dampener on it."

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Cooper hailed the goalkeeper's performance, saying: "We felt ready [for the penalty shoot-out], we did plan and prepare for it with Dean and the outfield guys, but even with that, it was still a bit of the luck of the gods. 

"Dean was fantastic in the 90 minutes in keeping the ball out of the net, and he carried that over to the shoot-out."

Cooper was not overly enthusiastic about Forest's performance, however, adding: "I'm chuffed for the supporters and players. 

"The objective of the tie was to get through. I can't say I loved our performance, I shouldn't be too negative and I won't be, but we have to play a lot better than we did for large spells of the game."

Meanwhile, Wolves counterpart Julen Lopetegui was frustrated by Graham Scott's failure to award a penalty when Matheus Nunes appeared to be fouled by Emmanuel Dennis late on, with no VAR in place to overturn the decision.

"It was very clear. Matheus went to control the ball and he didn't allow him to do it. It is very clear, we have seen the image," he said.

"Maybe I will have to review my knowledge of the rules. Maybe they are different. We have to accept it. The referee is the one who has the power to say yes or no. They don't have VAR today, it was a pity for us."

Manchester United will face Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup semi-finals, while Newcastle United meet Southampton.

Erik ten Hag's side beat third-tier Charlton Athletic 3-0 in the last eight and will travel to the City Ground for the first of the two-legged semi-final clash, as United search for a first trophy since 2017.

Forest have struggled in the Premier League as they battle to avoid the drop but edged past rivals Wolves on penalties after a 1-1 draw on Wednesday, moving just two games away from the Wembley Stadium showpiece.

Newcastle were dominant in a 2-0 win over Leicester City to reach the competition's semi-finals for the first time since 1976 and will visit the Premier League's bottom side Southampton for the first leg.

Nathan Jones' side registered an unlikely 2-0 quarter-final win over Manchester City, becoming just the third side to defeat Pep Guardiola's City in the EFL Cup, after West Ham and Manchester United (twice).

The first leg of the last-four clashes will be played on the week commencing January 23, with the second leg to follow the week after.

Real Madrid have reportedly made Tottenham's Harry Kane their top priority up forward after failed pursuits of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Kane, 29, is a three-time Premier League Golden Boot winner, and is showing no signs of slowing down, with his 15 goals in 18 league games this season trailing only Manchester City's Haaland (21 in 16 appearances).

He is only 10 league goals away from tying Wayne Rooney for the second-most in Premier League history, while he is also tied with Rooney for England's all-time record and is one goal away from tying Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham's all-time leader.

With his individual legacy in England already secured, Kane is said to be ready to take the next step in his career and join a team capable of competing consistently for trophies.

TOP STORY – MADRID SET THEIR SIGHTS ON ENGLAND'S NUMBER NINE

According to Todofichajes, Kane is now Madrid's favourite option for a new marquee striker, and the belief is that he does not plan on extending his contract with Tottenham beyond 2024.

With 18 months remaining on his contract and still yet to turn 30, Kane's transfer value will likely never be higher than it is right now, but a mid-season sale while also trying to convince Antonio Conte to remain long-term appears out of the question.

If Kane does not indicate that he will sign a new deal, Tottenham will be forced to sell him at the end of the season, or risk forgoing a transfer fee in the range of €100million and letting him walk for free.

ROUND-UP

– Mediafoot is reporting Arsenal are contemplating a move for out-of-favour 32-year-old Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard. 

– According to 90min, Chelsea have joined Tottenham in the hunt for 23-year-old Sporting right-back Pedro Porro, but also have reservations about meeting his €45m release clause.

– Real Madrid have identified 22-year-old Alphonso Davies from Bayern Munich and Benfica 27-year-old Alejandro Grimaldo as their top options to replace left-back Ferland Mendy, per Fichajes.

– SportItalia is reporting Atletico Madrid view 28-year-old Barcelona winger Memphis Depay as a potential replacement for Joao Felix, who will spend the rest of the season on loan at Chelsea.

– Everton and Nottingham Forest are both interested in a loan deal for 25-year-old Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma, per Sky Sports.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham will all reportedly attempt to sign Inter defender Denzel Dumfries after his stellar World Cup performances for the Netherlands.

Dumfries, 26, played in all five of his country's World Cup fixtures, highlighted by a stunning display against the United States in the last 16 where he scored one and assisted two in a 3-1 win.

The marauding right-back has played in all 15 of Inter's Serie A outings this season, making 13 starts, although he has only produced a full 90 minutes on four occasions.

Despite the Italian side rejecting all bids for Dumfries in the previous transfer window, he is said to no longer be viewed as indispensable, and could be pried away for a fee of €60million.

TOP STORY – PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS CIRCLE DUTCH STANDOUT DUMFRIES

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter are willing to accept a €60m (£53m) fee, although it remains to be seen if the amount of interest drives that price up even further.

Chelsea reportedly view Dumfries as the answer to their depth issues at right-back while Reece James battles injuries, as well as being able to play as part of a back-three.

United believe he can replace Diogo Dalot, and Tottenham feel he is a superior option to Sporting's Pedro Porro, who they had been reportedly close to securing on a €35m (£31m) deal, per the Daily Star.

ROUND-UP

– Spanish newspaper Nacional is reporting Man Utd have made an offer for 24-year-old RB Leipzig winger Dani Olmo, who could cost as much as €66m (£58m).

– The Evening Standard is reporting Arsenal, Chelsea and United are not willing to pay the €11m (£10m) loan fee and €283,000 (£250,000)-per-week wages being demanded by Atletico Madrid for forward Joao Felix.

– According to 90min, Manchester City will sign 19-year-old Velez Sarsfield midfielder Maximo Perrone.

– Nottingham Forest will allow 25-year-old striker Emmanuel Dennis to leave the club for a fee of £10m just five months after his arrival, per The Athletic.

– The Telegraph is reporting Liverpool will investigate a potential £44m move for 24-year-old Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes at the end of the season.

Big-spending Nottingham Forest are ready to add to their army of players this month as Steve Cooper revealed Jesse Lingard faces a month out of action.

Manager Cooper believes the club will make every effort to bolster his squad ahead of a push to secure Premier League safety.

Forest made 21 signings in the last transfer window, during the English summer, with free agent Serge Aurier later joining the flood of arrivals after the deadline passed for deals between clubs.

It was an extraordinary burst of activity from the promoted team, back in the English top flight for the first time since 1999, and they are determined to ensure it is not a one-season return to the elite.

After Sunday's 1-1 draw against Chelsea, in which Aurier scored, Cooper was asked about the prospect of making new signings, and he said: "I think so, hope so.

"I trust in the club to get to work, and if there are some things that can help the squad and the team and what we need, then we will do that.

"You say it a little bit through gritted teeth, because of what went on in the summer, and there's that sense of Forest signing players again, but the summer was the summer, you have to look at where we're at now."

Forest sit 18th in the 20-team Premier League, with three sides to be relegated.

Cooper confirmed former Manchester United and England midfielder Lingard will be unavailable for a stretch of fixtures due to a hamstring problem.

"We've picked up some long-term injuries since the summer to key players. Jesse's out for a month now," Cooper told Sky Sports.

"If we can add the right players in the right positions, then we'll need to do that, and we'll want to do it as well."

Chelsea must stick together to keep their top-four hopes alive this season, with Cesar Azpilicueta calling on his team-mates to staunch their loss of points.

The Blues slipped to a draw against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, as Serge Aurier cancelled out Raheem Sterling's opener in a 1-1 encounter.

It leaves Graham Potter's side with just one win in their past five Premier League games, and with a seven-point gap to fourth-place Manchester United.

With only 25 points this season, Chelsea are slipping away from Champions League qualification contention, but Azpilicueta issued a cry to turn matters around.

"Every point matters, and today we lost two points, that's clear," he told Sky Sports. "Since the beginning of the season, we [have] lost too many points.

"Now we are far from where we want to be, and every game you don't win is a chance that you miss. This is the reality when you see the table, that's where we are.

"We need to have a very good second half of the season if we want to achieve Champions League for next season. We have to stick together.

"We know this is not the most pleasant time, but in these difficult moments, we need everybody to stick together, to work hard, to improve, to be humble."

Sterling's early goal had looked to put Chelsea in firm control at the City Ground, but Steve Cooper's under-fire hosts bounced back in the second half.

With nine shots against one from the Blues after the interval, Forest earned their equaliser, and Azpilicueta acknowledges his side let the game slip away.

"They were putting more pressure [on us] and we were not able to escape," he added. "They created a few chances, and we lost two points.

"We were not able to find the right space to calm down their reaction. We were not able to manage that kind of situations."

Chelsea will regather themselves next for back-to-back clashes with Manchester City, facing Pep Guardiola's side in the Premier League and FA Cup next week.

Graham Potter described Chelsea's performance as "not good enough" after a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest – as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink warned the Blues face Champions League misery.

Hasselbaink believes his former club are destined to miss out on a top-four finish after they slipped up at the City Ground on New Year's Day.

Chelsea won the Champions League only two seasons ago, and head coach Potter may find himself under pressure if they are not playing in Europe's premier club competition in the 2023-24 campaign.

The London club are eighth in the Premier League, seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.

Ex-Blues striker Hasselbaink told Sky Sports: "I think they are too far from the top four. Yes, they do miss some really important players – [Reece] James, [N'Golo] Kante, [Ben] Chilwell – but they are defensive-orientated players.

"He [Potter] needs to win matches, he needs to win as many matches as possible. Chelsea need to be in the Champions League. That's not going to happen.

"He's had a lot of injuries and you need to give him time. You need to give him time to mould his team."

Potter saw Chelsea squander an early lead on Sunday, with Raheem Sterling's strike countered by a fine second-half reply from Serge Aurier.

Former Brighton and Hove Albion boss Potter described it as "a hard-earned point against a team that's set up well", and he praised the spirit in the Forest ranks that saw them raise the tempo after half-time.

But that may not wash with the Chelsea supporters who expect their team to be able to ride out such pressure against teams battling to avoid relegation.

Forest, who are 18th in the table, could easily have secured all three points, as they had the better chances in a lively game.

Chelsea have won just one of their last seven Premier League games, losing three and drawing three in that run.

"Our performance level wasn't good enough, I don't think, to take the three points," Potter said.

"When we had control of the game we didn't move the ball fast enough, there wasn't enough movement for us, and when we lost control of the game we struggled a bit."

Potter said it "would have been unfair" if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had converted a late chance. As it happened, the striker failed to get his head on a cross from Hakim Ziyech.

The Chelsea boss said his side "didn't deserve to win the game with that", and he refused to discuss possible new signings, amid claims defender Benoit Badiashile is poised to sign from Monaco.

Asked about Champions League qualification, Potter said: "We've got a long way to go in terms of how we want the team to look and the performance level. It would be a mistake for us to worry about what can happen in five months' time.

"We need to focus on the next match and get our performance level better and more consistent."

The next match is a Premier League home game against reigning champions Manchester City on Thursday, and the game after that is another clash with City on Sunday in the FA Cup third round.

It gets no easier for Potter who said his team's midweek win against Bournemouth had been "a step forward".

"Today was a little bit of a backwards one," he added.

Serge Aurier stunned Chelsea with a clinical equaliser as Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest secured a 1-1 draw at the City Ground.

A frenetic New Year's Day game saw Raheem Sterling fire Chelsea into a 16th-minute lead, but Forest had several good chances and hit the crossbar before Aurier pulled them level just after the hour.

Chelsea had lost their last three games on their travels, so they at least avoided a fourth successive defeat away from Stamford Bridge.

However, the point leaves them seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United as head coach Graham Potter battles to put the Blues back in the hunt for a Champions League place.

The best early chance went to Forest in the 10th minute when Brennan Johnson ran in behind the Chelsea defence, forcing Kepa Arrizabalaga to make a sharp save before the goalkeeper gathered a half-hit follow-up attempt.

Yet Chelsea took the lead when Christian Pulisic's cross from the left was looped up against his own crossbar by defender Willy Boly, under pressure from Kai Havertz, with the ball bouncing out for Sterling to drive in from five yards.

Forest squandered another good opportunity early in the second half when Johnson elected to shoot from a narrowing angle rather than centre to an unmarked Taiwo Awoniyi, who was furious there was no pass.

They went even closer in the 55th minute when Morgan Gibbs-White sent an 18-yard drive crashing against the underside of the bar, but had their reward eight minutes later.

Former Tottenham right-back Aurier was an unlikely hero and his finish was excellent after a scramble on the edge of the six-yard box, controlling the ball with his chest when Boly headed to his fellow Ivorian before rifling powerfully past Kepa.

Substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed a late chance to win it for Chelsea, who cannot afford to be dropping points against teams battling to avoid relegation.

The Chelsea Pride fan group condemned homophobic chants that were heard during the first half of the Blues' Premier League game against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Moments after Chelsea took the lead in Sunday's contest, a chant of "Chelsea rent boys" was audible in the ground and on Sky Sports' television coverage.

The chant was defined in January 2022 as a hate crime by the Crown Prosecution Service, with Chelsea welcoming that decision at the time.

It has not been eradicated, though, and remains a slur occasionally aimed at Chelsea players.

Chelsea Pride, which describes itself as the club's official LGBTQ+ and Friends Supporters Group, said such a chant was unacceptable.

The group said in a statement: "We totally condemn the Chelsea Rent Boy chant that can be heard at the city ground. Time to call this out the game is live on @SkySportsPL This is now classed as a hate crime."

The Pride In Football organisation backed that reaction by stating: "We are very disappointed to hear that *one day* into 2023 and there is homophobia being heard at a football game.

"If you hear someone around you being homophobic, call them out. We need to kick homophobia out of football. This is not okay!"

Forest fan group LGBTQ Trickies hit out at those responsible and called for police action.

They said in a response to Chelsea Pride: "From all genuine #NFFC fans, please accept our apologies, not only do we hope @NottPolFootball will do their best to take action, we would hope @NFFC release a statement condoning this and take necessary action.

"We are embarrassed and ashamed."

Graham Potter has told his Chelsea players there can be no excuses for failure in 2023 – even as injuries strike at the heart of their squad.

The head coach will be without the sidelined Reece James, Ben Chilwell, N'Golo Kante and Wesley Fofana, among others, as Chelsea begin the new year at Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Chelsea have lost their last three away games, last losing on four consecutive road trips in January and February 2019 under Maurizio Sarri, so the imperative is to end that dire streak immediately. Potter says he is experiencing his most "challenging" time as a coach.

Second-bottom Forest have not hosted Chelsea at the City Ground since February 1999, and Potter is wary of what he expects to be a fierce welcome by the River Trent.

However, the former Brighton and Hove Albion knows any grumbles about injuries simply will not wash, with Chelsea having an expensively assembled squad that is expected to deliver results.

Potter said: "Our job now is to try and get as many people back as we can. It's been a real tough period, as challenging as it's been I would say, in my time as a coach, but we're Chelsea and people don't want to hear those reasons, excuses.

"You've got to get on with it. And we've got to try your best to find the answers."

Forest were well beaten by Manchester United on Tuesday, going down 3-0 at Old Trafford, but they scored a home win against Liverpool in October, with Jurgen Klopp's team guilty of missing a host of chances that day.

Potter said: "Forest got a fantastic result against Liverpool. I have huge respect for Steve Cooper and the job that he's done there.

"He's tremendous, a fantastic coach. So they'll be ready, the atmosphere will be hostile. They're back in the Premier League for the first year for a long, long time.

"So every game, especially Chelsea coming to town, is a big game for them. So they'll be motivated, and they'll have the quality and they'll be fighting for the points. So we have to be ready."

Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech were absent as Chelsea beat Bournemouth 2-0 on Tuesday, but both have since returned from World Cup duty.

Chelsea have beaten Forest in their last seven meetings, the last of which was a 2-0 FA Cup third-round win in January 2020, and the Blues have only been beaten once in their last 11 away league games against promoted teams (W8 D2).

These two sides have made highly contrasting starts to recent calendar years, with Forest winning their opening league game in each of the past four years, albeit in the Championship each time.

Chelsea, in sharp contrast, have not mustered a win from their first league game in any of the last six calendar years (D4 L2), and last endured a longer bleak run in year-opening league games from 1929 to 1938, when they had four draws and six losses in a 10-game span.

Chelsea's 2022 included a disruptive change of ownership as the club passed out of Roman Abramovich's hands and into the control of Todd Boehly.

Potter then replaced former head coach Thomas Tuchel in September, and there are hopes a new year will bring stability as well as success.

"We want to keep improving. There's a simple answer," Potter said, when asked for his new year wishes for the team.

"We've had a challenging [time], some ups and some downs in terms of the previous year, which is normal, I think, in any football club, but we want to try and stabilise, and we want to try and improve and make our supporters happy.

"We know that before the break, the last few weeks, it wasn't nice for us. Results suffered and performances weren't where we'd like them to be. So we have to do better than that."

Erik ten Hag was not entirely satisfied with Manchester United's finishing despite comfortably seeing off Nottingham Forest 3-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

United returned to Premier League action following the World Cup and ultimately cruised to a straightforward victory that leaves them just a point behind fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand.

First-half goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial sent United on their way before Fred rounded things off in the final minutes.

But United wasted several decent opportunities before Fred's Casemiro-inspired goal, with Antony and Rashford spurning particularly good chances.

And that proved to be a key area of focus for Ten Hag after the game.

"It's what I said in the dressing room, we have to score more goals," he told Prime Video.

"We created so many chances and it takes us until just before the end to score the third goal. We need to finish this game in an earlier moment.

"Just after half-time we had two really good chances to finish the game. Life would be more easy.

"There are many games to come, [if you get a third goal then] you can then save energy and it is better for everyone, but also for the progress of the team, we need to be more clinical.

"We have players who can score.

"You can see Martial and Rashford are goalscorers; Bruno Fernandes scores goals. We have a lot of players who can score, but we have to be ruthless."

Ten Hag has already confirmed United are keen to bring in attacking reinforcements during the January transfer window following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.

PSV forward Cody Gakpo was widely considered the most likely to arrive but it emerged on Monday that the Netherlands international is close to joining Liverpool after the two clubs agreed a fee.

Ten Hag was asked about Liverpool's move for Gakpo, though he was unsurprisingly keen to avoid speaking about his compatriot.

"I don't talk about individual cases," he said.

"We are looking for offensive players, we are looking for a striker. It would be good because we have games coming, so many, every third day, and it's tough.

"You want to play in all the competitions we are in, we want to stay in them hopefully until the end of the season, so you need numbers in the squad to cover them all.

"I think we are always in the market, but it has to match the sporting criteria and the financial criteria, and we do what we can to bring in what we need."

While the Red Devils appear to have missed out on Gakpo, the August arrival of Casemiro proves United retain the ability to attract the best in the world.

The Brazil international was central to Tuesday's win, brilliantly winning the ball back near his own corner flag in the build-up to United's second goal before also inspiring Fred's clincher.

Those two incidents fitted into the wider narrative of his all-round brilliance in midfield as he recorded a joint-high three key passes, attempted more tackles than anyone else (five) and was engaged in the most duels (11).

For Ten Hag, Casemiro is a blessing.

"I can't deny that, I can only confirm," Ten Hag replied when Casemiro's importance was highlighted by a pundit. "It's a pleasure to work with him.

"I think everyone can see how important he is. The performance, the level he brings to the team is huge."

Marcus Rashford was the inspiration as Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday in their first Premier League game since the World Cup break.

Rashford played a starring role in the EFL Cup defeat of Burnley last week and was again United's standout performer as they moved to within a point of fourth-placed Tottenham.

The England forward opened the scoring for a dominant United with a goal straight off the training ground before setting up Anthony Martial.

Forest had a goal wiped out just before the break, but it was not a precursor to United coming under greater scrutiny in the second period as they coasted before adding a late third through substitute Fred.

Erik ten Hag was forced to pick a somewhat unfamiliar backline due to illness, with Luke Shaw at centre-back.

But there was no sign of that inhibiting United, and they were deservedly ahead before long, with Rashford providing a wonderfully deft finish from Christian Eriksen's smart corner delivery.

Rashford was key again as United made it 2-0 three minutes later, latching on to Bruno Fernandes' clever pass and teeing up Martial to beat the unconvincing Wayne Hennessey at the end of a counter-attack that stemmed from Casemiro's brilliant recovery.

Willy Boly deflected Ryan Yates' header in on the stroke of half-time, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.

United should have taken advantage of that let-off early in the second half when Antony spurned a glorious opportunity with only Hennessey to beat.

Rashford also wasted a good chance when scuffing substitute Donny van de Beek's cut-back, but United put the game beyond Forest late on as Casemiro won the ball back, surged into the final third and found Fred for an easy finish.

What does it mean? Red Devils looking free without Cristiano Ronaldo

The mid-World Cup announcement of Ronaldo's exit was generally greeted favourably by United fans, with the Portugal striker resembling a square peg in a round hole in the first part of the season.

While Burnley and Forest may not be the greatest of opponents, United have looked fluid and unshackled going forward with Ronaldo not there to hold them back.

They should have scored more than they did on Tuesday, but there was always a sense they could have cranked things up a notch if needed – that ultimately was not a necessity as they comfortably saw off a mediocre Forest side.

Casemiro shows his class

Rashford will dominate the headlines, but this was a masterclass from Casemiro. He played a crucial role in United's second when winning the ball back near his own corner flag; then he did similar and provided the assist for their third. He was imperious.

Antony a source of frustration

Although he has chipped in with a few goals, United fans are still waiting for Antony to really explode. That certainly did not occur here.

His decision-making was largely poor. He failed to tally a single key pass and wasted a tremendous chance in the second half before being withdrawn.

What's next?

United go to Wolves on Saturday, while Forest are home to Chelsea the following day.

Jesse Lingard accused Manchester United of making "false promises" to him during his final months at the club ahead of his first return to Old Trafford with Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.

Lingard came through United's academy, spending 22 years at the club before his departure on a free transfer at the end of last season.

The England international had been largely a rotation option during his time in United's senior squad, but he fell well down the pecking order in the 2020-21 campaign as he failed to make a single Premier League appearance in the first half of the season.

That led to him joining West Ham on loan and reinvigorating his career in London, scoring nine Premier League goals – a personal best for a single campaign – in 16 appearances.

Such form suggested Lingard still had a future at United and the club reportedly refused several transfer offers, but he remained a bit-part player in 2021-22; his 22 appearances across all competitions included just four starts.

His lack of minutes at the club during his final couple of years at United remains a source of bewilderment for Lingard, who will hope to prove a point in Forest's first league game since the World Cup.

"I don't know why I wasn't playing," Lingard told the Telegraph.

"I don't know what the problem was, whether it was politics or whatever. I still haven't got an answer to this day. I didn't even ask.

"I'd rather that someone, out of respect for me being there that long, told me 'this is why you're not playing', but I never got that.

"It was false promises. I was training hard and I was sharp, I was ready to play those games. When you're working hard in training and don't play at the end of it, it's very frustrating.

"I had to grind out that last year because I knew I'd be [leaving] on a free [transfer].

"I'm not really the type of guy to sulk. Around the dressing room, I'm always that bubbly character with good vibes. 

"I was getting on with my training and doing my work, then here and there I'd come on and try to give my best. The last year was difficult."

Despite the frustration Lingard holds on to regarding his final years at United, resentment does not appear to have taken root.

Generally regarded a popular figure in the dressing room before he left the club, Lingard is not going to Old Trafford on Tuesday with revenge on the mind.

Instead, he is looking forward to finally being able to bid farewell.

"It will be an enjoyable one, but we want to win the game," he added.

"You can't get caught up too much emotionally, [but] it's a chance to say my goodbyes because I never really got that."

Forest go to Old Trafford second from bottom in the Premier League with only 13 points, while United will be hoping to reduce the gap to the top four back down to one point.

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez must be ready to make an impact on his return to club football after Argentina's World Cup win, manager Erik ten Hag warned.

Martinez featured in five of Argentina's seven games as they clinched their third World Cup title in Qatar, starting twice.

Argentina's victory – which was sealed via a penalty shoot-out after a pulsating 3-3 draw with France – sparked wild celebrations in the country, with Tuesday's parade in Buenos Aires being cut short as huge crowds held up the team's bus.

While United boss Ten Hag says Martinez must savour his career highlight, he emphasised the need for the Red Devils' squad to switch focus as the Premier League returns.

"I can understand that it's emotional, it's very loaded when you achieve this. When you get the World Cup into your country it's magnificent, it's the highest thing you can achieve," he said.

"But also Licha has to accept that on the 27th, the Premier League will go on.

"We all know that the restart is five or six days after the World Cup final, and we all know that after the World Cup, the Premier League continues quickly. 

"Everyone has to be ready for that and you have to accept it; the manager, the coaching staff, but also the players. 

"We wanted to have a strong team to battle for the trophies. We spoke about the tough competition, so we have to be ready for it and it's not easy."

Having beaten Burnley to reach the last eight of the EFL Cup on Wednesday, United return to Premier League action against Nottingham Forest next Tuesday.

Martinez and fellow defender Raphael Varane will almost certainly be absent after helping their countries to the World Cup final, but Ten Hag has backed the France man to bounce back from the disappointment of seeing Argentina triumph.

"Of course, he's disappointed about losing the final, but I think he can be proud that he was in the final again, and of everything that he achieved already in his career," Ten Hag said of Varane.

"As a team, or as a player like Rapha, when you win so many trophies and now he's second [in the World Cup], I think you can still be proud because getting to the final is already a big achievement.

"I think the level of the nations was so close as they came into the final, then it was even in the final, as you know, they were very close."

United entered the World Cup break three points adrift of a top-four place with a game in hand, and although Ten Hag recognises his side are under pressure to qualify for the Champions League, he believes their rivals are in the same situation.

"As you say, I accept it, how it is, but I think it's also for the manager of Chelsea, for Newcastle United and all those clubs invested a lot in their squads," he said. "That will be for every manager.

"It's a big pressure to get into the Champions League, that's clear. You want to be in the top four and you want to fight for trophies and that's our aim."