Perhaps it was a strategic move of Manchester United to reserve what was their most handsome win of the season against a side deprived of their first-choice goalkeeper, property of United.
Dean Henderson has suffered 6-0, 5-0 and 4-0 routs in Forest colours and Wayne Hennessey's rush of blood to the head and rush out of goal against Iran would suggest he ought to have been Wales's number two in Qatar.
Hennessey conceded carelessly whilst deputising for Henderson though his denials and a dismal conversion rate spared Forest from another shellacking. Hennessey's five saves were all routine in what was another paradoxical performance from United, too lenient against the league's leakiest defence yet comfortable victors.
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That is unlikely to be sustainable for another five months, however renascent Marcus Rashford appears. Three-nil against Nottingham Forest, promoted via the Play-offs, is United's biggest win of the campaign.
Antony and his namesake Anthony Martial were guilty of spurning presentable chances fashioned by the quietly influential Bruno Fernandes, further liberated by Cristiano Ronaldo's divorce.
Fernandes was so emboldened he attempted to lob Hennessey from the best part of 40 yards, much to Marcus Rashford's chagrin. Casemiro playfully kneed the United captain. It was that serene an evening, despite the modest deficit on the scoreboard.
United were 2-0 ahead after 22 minutes and supporters were audibly exasperated Tyrell Malacia played the ball backwards in the 67th minute. Seconds later, Alejandro Garnacho only looked forwards and fellow substitute Donny van de Beek procured another opportunity for Rashford.
"Ten Hag's Red and White Army," the Stretford End chanted at full-time. Still fifth, United are moving upwards, now a point behind fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand.
Barely 24 hours after PSV Eindhoven confirmed Cody Gakpo was en route to England's north-west - only to Liverpool - United's two seasoned right-footed left wingers registered.
Rashford and Martial have got what they wanted with Ronaldo no longer dominating the dressing room, not that they would every admit it. Two players who have faded into the background in the presence of frontmen from Ibrahimovic to Ronaldo are on song again. Rashford has double the number of club goals he tallied in the entirety of last season and Martial is on half as many with five.
United require additional ammunition in January though Gakpo is too identical a profile of forward to those in a United attack that remains lopsided whenever the fitful Antony is absent. Martial, a scorer or creator in six of United's nine games this season, is still caught on his heels too often and was a curious withdrawal as Casemiro stayed on.
Unlike his compatriot Casemiro, Antony struggled to reacclimatise to the inclement intensity of the Premier League after five weeks in Qatar. Casemiro's sliding tackle inside his own third turned defence into the attack that Martial scored from.
Raphael Varane asked to play nine days on from numbingly posing for a silver medal squad photo in Lusail and was as classy as Casemiro, the most attacking defensive midfielder you are likely to see. He was reverentially clapped off the pitch at full-time.
With Victor Lindelof under the weather and Lisandro Martinez's whereabouts unclear after Argentina's homecoming, Harry Maguire, still drained by a virus he contracted in Qatar, also offered his availability. Maguire had only trained once since England's elimination to Varane's France on December 10.
Ten Hag offered appreciative applause for a diligent recovery run by Varane in the fourth minute and he intervened twice more before the 12th minute. The second-half was barely two minutes old and Varane stooped to deviate the ball away from a lurking Taiwo Awoniyi. Varane was deservedly substituted midway through the second-half.
Rashford's goal, a wonderful variation on David Beckham and Paul Scholes's corner collaboration at Bradford, was the kind of canny goal United have not been renowned for in aeons. With surface water splashing amid a torrential downpour, Rashford's strike had to be as measured as Christian Eriksen's ground pass.
Eriksen is a craftsman to rely on, whatever the weather and Rashford is becoming a reliable talisman again for United. His goals have secured 12 Premier League points now this season.
Almost always prone to punting the ball on the laces, Rashford opened up his boot and timed his first-time strike as precisely as a golfer opening up the face of an iron.
United's tactical sophistication was apparent inside the first five minutes, with Casemiro dropping into centre back, Luke Shaw switching to left-back to accommodate Malacia in midfield. The Dutchman was denied a first United goal when his drilled drive was deflected onto the upright by Hennessey.
On their first fixture at Old Trafford since Boxing Day 1998, Forest fans showed solidarity by joining in with a chorus denouncing Brian Clough's brief employers Leeds United. Alfe-Inge Haaland remains the last Forest player to score at Old Trafford after Willy Boly strayed offside and inadvertently prodded Ryan Yates's header in.
Jesse Lingard, withdrawn hurt in the 53rd minute, was mobile enough to do half a lap of honour and earned a belated and deserved ovation from supporters who had watched him for eight years. He was a spectator for United's third, created by Casemiro and finished by Fred after the forwards' second-half impotence.
Casemiro is always looking forwards.
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