This is not the end to 2023 that Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, would have expected.
Losing 2-1 at Nottingham Forest was not in the plan.
United came from two goals down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 in midweek and were looking to build on the result.
However, it appeared to be false hope again, as they could not even dominate the hosts at City Ground.
Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner appeared to have given the Red Devils a route back into the game when his poor pass was capitalised on by Marcus Rashford.
It was Rashford’s first league goal from open play since September 1, after Nicolas Dominguez’s second-half opener.
As United chased what would have been an undeserved winner, Forest caught them on the break to clinch the victory just four minutes later.
Morgan Gibbs-White’s first-time strike from the edge of the box – set up by former United forward Anthony Elanga – the only piece of real quality in an otherwise poor game.