MANCHESTER, England (Interstat) — Luke Shaw scored in the fifth minute and Manchester United held off a late Nottingham Forest rally for a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford on Sunday in the Premier League season opener for both clubs.

The home side struck early when Shaw collected a pass near the edge of the area and curled a left-footed shot past Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels for the opening goal of the 2026-27 campaign. Manchester United dominated possession for much of the first half but could not extend their lead before the interval.

Nottingham Forest equalized eight minutes into the second half. Defender Morato rose above the United back line to head home a corner kick from Morgan Gibbs-White, leveling the score at 1-1 in the 53rd minute.

Manchester United responded almost immediately. Forward Matheus Cunha pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area after a corner was only partially cleared, firing a low shot inside the near post in the 55th minute to restore the home side’s advantage.

United doubled their lead in the 76th minute through substitute Bryan Mbeumo, who capitalized on a fast break. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes played a through ball that split the Forest defense, and Mbeumo slotted past Sels to make the score 3-1.

Nottingham Forest cut the deficit just two minutes later. Gibbs-White collected a pass from Anthony Elanga and lashed a shot from outside the box that deflected off a United defender and past goalkeeper Andre Onana in the 78th minute.

The visitors pressed for an equalizer in the closing stages. In the 78th minute, United midfielder Casemiro received a yellow card for a late challenge that stopped a promising Forest counterattack. Shaw was also cautioned in the 93rd minute for time-wasting on a throw-in. Deep into stoppage time, Forest substitute Elliot Anderson was booked for a tactical foul as United broke forward.

Manchester United held firm through five minutes of added time to secure the victory. The win gave United a 1-0 record in Premier League play and across all competitions. Nottingham Forest dropped to 0-1 in both the league and overall.

Old Trafford was filled with 74,310 spectators for the opening fixture. The match featured several debutants for both sides, including United’s summer signing Cunha, who made an immediate impact with his goal.

The game marked the start of a new season for both clubs, with Manchester United looking to improve on a third-place finish the previous year and Nottingham Forest aiming to avoid a relegation battle after surviving on the final day last term.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Manchester United 1, Nottingham Forest 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Manchester United with an 84.80 percent probability to win.