Man Utd Plunge Into Relegation Zone After Man City Humiliation Drags Red Devils To Darkest Moment In 40 Years

The celebrations among Manchester United supporters did not last long.

Tuesday's stunning second-half comeback against Roma, winning 3–2, was both memorable and necessary—snapping the Red Devils' nine-match winless streak; however, the misery has returned in historic fashion.

Manchester City's 3–1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday pushed United into the relegation zone, marking the first time the club has found themselves there since November 1986 at least nine games into a season. The Red Devils now sit between 17th-placed Coventry City and 19th-placed Crystal Palace, with Nottingham Forest occupying 16th.

United have been hovering dangerously close to the drop zone throughout the campaign, managing just a single league victory so far: a 5–2 thrashing of newly promoted Ipswich Town back in August.

Things don't appear to be improving for Michael Carrick's side anytime soon, as a heavily depleted squad prepares to host Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Premier League Standings

Liam Delap Leads Charge on Man City Defeat

Nottingham Forest claimed victory over the Cityzens on Saturday evening, frequently withstanding intense spells of pressure at City Ground as Enzo Maresca's side grew increasingly anxious.

Much of the praise belongs to striker Liam Delap, who netted twice on the night. These were just the second and third Premier League goals of the season for the 23-year-old Englishman, whose previous strike came on Sept. 12 in a 2–1 victory against Aston Villa.

By the 20th minute, Forest had already established a 2–0 advantage. As early as the sixth minute, Jair Cunha dispossessed City's Joško Gvardiol before driving into the penalty area and slotting a low, firm shot into the left corner of the net. Twelve minutes later, Delap added his first of the evening, collecting the ball in Forest's half and weaving through the gap between center backs Rúben Dias and Marc Guéhi before unleashing a powerful upper-90 finish.

Rayan Cherki halved Man City's deficit in the 52nd minute with a first-time finish from a poor clearance; however, it proved insufficient. Delap completed his brace just over 20 minutes later, latching onto a through ball from Morgan Gibbs-White, driving into the box, and firing into the far corner before breaking out the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo celebration.

Arsenal have now opened up a six-point gap over Man City at the Premier League summit, following a hard-fought 1–0 victory against Hull City on Saturday.