Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial combined for Manchester United's most convincing Premier League victory under Erik ten Hag to date, adding a late goal from Fred.
A thorough performance against inferior competition that left Old Trafford in terror and hoping not to return anytime soon included three goals, a clean sheet, and ball dominance.
Everything has been seen before, yet this time feels different. United: are they really "back"?
Watching Martial and Rashford ram them in at the Theatre of Dreams in a free-flowing offensive performance—complete with his trademark gloves and trim haircut—suggests as much. Although Erik ten Hag has so far been a revelation for United, it's all too simple to become overexcited.
The final score of 3-0 just hides flaws. And the overall data supports that assertion. United has to do more going forward and might be doing more upfront.
Certainly, that requires time. Under an ownership regime that has allowed United to decay from the inside out for nearly 20 years at this point, Ten Hag is still in his first season with the club. The Dutchman is attempting a fresh start. Completely. And last night's rather improvised United XI should act as a reminder of that.
But let's remove the dark-coloured gloves for a bit and return to the present. Martial has scored five goals in as many games this season, and his goal against Forest doubled United's lead. Add two assists to it, and you have a very good return. The problem? Simply put, nine games are not enough.
Martial has previously struggled to consistently score goals, but it appears that a fresh start under Ten Hag has finally resolved that problem and given him the vein of consistency he so urgently needed. But it becomes a significant problem when you still have to store him in bubble wrap before, during, and after games.
Rashford has recovered some of his greatest work, which is brilliant, after overcoming a period of injury and then declining form. But no matter how often he says in interviews that he plans to run a successful campaign, we just can't be certain that it will.
10 goals and four assists from 21 games in all competitions leaves the England international on course to at least match his most prolific season in front of goal for United, where he bagged 22 times and assisted 12 in 41 games during the COVID-19 affected 2019/20 campaign - incidentally also Martial's most prolific season for the club.
Simply put, though, when you've lost a forward mid-season and the only two you have left to rely on have managed just one 20+ goal campaign each so far in their careers, it's hardly a confidence boost.
Their form under Ten Hag and the commitment they've shown to make sure they improve under the new manager is admirable and should set an example for the rest of the squad. But leaning on two players who simply don't have the track record in front of the goal isn't good enough for a team who are embroiled in a top-four battle that only continues to become more competitive, with aims of returning to the top of the tree.
Like Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke did in United's late 1990s, Rashford and Martial need help. The difference is Sir Alex Ferguson could throw in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham to mix things up. Ten Hag? Well, beyond Rashford and Martial, it's either stick Harry Maguire up front, give an out-of-favour Anthony Elanga another chance, or rely on a teenager from the youth ranks.
Option C sounds great. But with the stakes so high, hanging someone like Charlie McNeill out to dry on football's biggest stage doesn't sound sensible. Especially not with a transfer window around the corner and plenty of top European strikers angling for a move.
That means the Glazers - who are seemingly desperate to finally sell the club - reaching their hands into their pockets one last time. But presenting prospective new owners with a shiny new, long-term signing might actually help that along.
For the first time in years, Ten Hag has managed to showcase Rashford and Martial's talents somewhat consistently. And while they could kick on and become the two men he relies on at United, there is far too much at stake for him to gamble on that just yet.
Competition for places breeds quality. Consider that and the frankly absurd schedule United have from now until May, and the prospect of leaning on just Martial and Rashford is simply unfair for all involved. Another striker coming in would alleviate the burden, boost the numbers, give the Red Devils another outlet and further improve the squad's quality in depth.
The pair absolutely deserve the chance to carry the club forward. But United can take no chances. The margins are too fine for that.