There won't be much credit for Manchester United after beating a side second-bottom in the Premier League, but they certainly deserve some.
United fielded a makeshift back-four for the visit of Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, and there was certainly potential for a banana-skin as vibrant as the visitors' kit.
It never looked like happening, though. Even after a cagey opening few minutes, United always looked in total control, something they owe to the effortless class embedded in the spine of their team.
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Erik ten Hag made it his mission to add creativity and composure in the summer months, and that approach is paying off even on the coldest nights Old Trafford has to offer.
While there was certainly room for United to make a mistake, there was simply no way for it to happen given the clinical professionalism of their most experienced players.
At the heart of a makeshift defence, Raphael Varane stood strong, barking out orders to auxiliary centre-back partner Luke Shaw and second-choice full-backs in Tyrell Malacia and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Even on the infrequent occasions Forest ventured up the pitch, they were met with a brick wall in the form of the French defender, who was the first player involved in the World Cup final to return to club action.
It's that commitment to the cause and utter professionalism that has had a huge effect on the United dressing room this season and helped implement an already visible culture shift under their new manager.
Varane can't do it all on his own, though, and he doesn't have to. His serial winning mentality is matched by former Real Madrid teammate Casemiro in midfield, another player who has returned seemingly unfazed from a disappointing World Cup campaign.
The Brazilian had shone at centre-back last time out against Burnley, but was back in his preferred midfield role for much of the match on Tuesday night. Not always, though. On many occasions, he would drop back to partner Varane in the heart of the defence, allowing Shaw to occupy the full-back role and Malacia to cause a nuisance in midfield.
Casemiro continued to ooze class whenever he got the ball at his feet and played a crucial role early on with his considered approach, keeping things simple against the Forest press and carefully picking defence-cutting passes when required.
His brain is matched by his brawn, too. United's brilliant, blistering break for the second goal all started when the Brazilian slid in to end a Forest attack deep in his own half and win the ball back for his team to eventually score.
He'd go one better with a perfectly weighted pass late on that he made look so easy, setting up compatriot Fred for the goal that really sealed the win after a second-half revival from Forest.
Casemiro has transformed the United side by offering so much creativity from a deep position, and Christian Eriksen has transformed it by offering an equal amount of craft from everywhere else in midfield.
The Danish playmaker was at the heart of United's commanding play again and expressed his expert creative awareness with his own 'corner taken quickly routine' that caught Forest off-guard for Marcus Rashford's emphatic opener.
That creativity and composure have been a common theme all season, and while it was their attacking artistry that ultimately won United the game, it was all built upon the solid foundations of their stubborn spine.
United will have much tougher tests in the weeks ahead, but with Varane, Casemiro and Eriksen playing, they'll always have a chance.
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