While Manchester United came away from the City Ground with all three points - having somewhat cruised past relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest - Erik ten Hag was still critical of his players for not scoring more goals in the Premier League clash.
It was an important victory for the Reds, and one that saw them move a step closer to securing a top-four finish this season. Ten Hag's men could still achieve Champions League football for next season by winning the Europa League, but they will be hopeful of finishing inside the European spots regardless.
Despite being without several first-team players for the game against Steve Cooper's side, United were deserving of their 2-0 win on Sunday afternoon. Goals from Antony and full-back Diogo Dalot ensured they came away with all three points. The result was even more impressive considering the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw were all absent.
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United currently sit six points clear of fifth-place Tottenham in the league table, but their focus will now shift to cup clashes against Sevilla and Brighton respectively. Despite going into the two games with a good win under their belt, Ten Hag was still keen to demand move from his players.
"A solid performance. A well deserved win," Ten Hag told Sky Sports after the win over Forest. "The only criticism I could say, it had to be higher, the score. It had to be 3-0 or 4-0. We missed a lot of chances there.
"You want to score and finish and kill the game in the early moments. That's always important. In big games you don't create so many chances, so you have to score them."
Having drawn 2-2 with Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash last week, the Reds will need to come away from the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium with a win on Thursday night if they are to progress to the semi-finals.
Ten Hag's men appeared to be cruising towards a strong lead in the tie, but own goals from Tyrell Malacia and Harry Maguire late on in the first leg kept the La Liga outfit in the encounter.
While progression to the next round is the ultimate aim, United can achieve it in style by overcoming Ten Hag's criticism about their lack of goals. They could easily have ended the clash with Forest with more than their two goals, and the same can be said for the clash with Sevilla.
And Ten Hag has already suggested who United may need to lean on to find the back of the net for them.
Ten Hag said at a press conference at the end of March: "I think we have players like Bruno [Fernandes], like Jadon Sancho, like Anthony Martial, like Scott McTominay, like Antony dos Santos, we have enough players with the capabilities to score goals, definitely.
"What I said previously, I work in the back on next season [for transfers] but we're working now on this season, so first of all make sure everyone is available and keep improving the way of play and that's the best chance of scoring more goals."
Although a 2-0 lead would be welcomed in Spain, Ten Hag's men showed last week that they are vulnerable of conceding soft goals and giving their opponents a chance. Should United race into a healthy lead against Sevilla in the second leg, they would be able to relax a bit more than they did in the first clash.
Moreover, with an FA Cup semi-final game against Brighton to come at the weekend, any rest Ten Hag is able to give some of his first-team stars could prove to be crucial. If they are to do that, though, being ruthless in front of goal against Sevilla is a must.
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