Casemiro goal reaction speaks volumes as Man Utd snatch dramatic late FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest

Last term, Casemiro was one of the best players for United as they finished third and won the Carabao Cup.

This season, however, he's been written off as a faded force with the Samba star starting to creak as he enters the twilight years of his career.

However, on a night when United couldn't afford to lose, it was the former Real Madrid star who proved to be the difference.

Casemiro's reaction after netting summed it up. Teeth gritted, he pointed to his head enthusiastically. Suggesting, perhaps, that he's still got the mindset of a winner despite everything that's been thrown at him.

United weren't at their swashbuckling nor scintillating best - but it was certainly a marked improvement on their flat performance against Fulham days previously.

They, rather than Forest, are now in the hat for the next round.

United could, and perhaps should, have put the game to bed long before Casemiro powered home a header at the death following a pinpoint cross from Bruno Fernandes.

Marcus Rashford, deployed up top, was wasteful.

Or wasted? It's hard to tell with the England international these days, with his fall from grace drastic compared to his electric form 12 months ago.

Rashford is no striker. It is, perhaps, unfair that Ten Hag asks him to be one in the absence of Rasmus Hojlund.

The England international blazed over from the edge of the box in the first half when he should have hit the target.

And Rashford's poor finishing was frustrating again prior to Casemiro's winner, with the 26-year-old squandering a glorious chance to open the scoring from a tight angle - only to get his effort all wrong.

There were, however, many positives for United to take as they battled their way to a crucial win.

Andre Onana was excellent in goal, with the Cameroon international making a string of saves to keep the home side at bay.

Diogo Dalot showed why he's a player worth keeping with a disciplined performance at right-back.

And Bruno Fernandes spent less time moaning at officials and more time trying to help United, having been criticised after his poor body language in the Fulham defeat over the weekend.

For Forest, the defeat will be a frustrating one.

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They were more than a match for United and had chances to win the game, only for Onana to make five saves to prevent them from scoring the goal they craved.

Forest can, however, now focus solely on Premier League survival.

They sit just four points above the relegation zone in the league, having won just six of their 26 league games, with Luton hot on their heels.

Nuno Espirito Santo is a fine manager, as his previous work at Wolves proves.

And while supporters will be frustrated by their failure to beat a shaken United team, this loss could be a blessing in disguise.

In other FA Cup news, Chelsea beat Leeds 3-2 with Nicholas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk netting before a dramatic late winner from Conor Gallagher.

Mario Lemina struck the only goal as Wolves beat Brighton to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 win.

And Jayden Danns was the hero for Liverpool, bagging twice after an opener from Lewis Koumas as the Reds cruised to a 3-0 victory over Southampton.