Manchester United agreeing to send goalkeeper Andre Onana on loan to Trabzonspor reflects the ever-fading confidence in him at the club. After these mistakes, it’s not exactly hard to see why.
Onana never really got settled at Old Trafford after arriving from Inter Milan in 2023, with any good performance becoming quickly overshadowed by another howler.
We’ve ranked all 22 mistakes that have been officially attributed as leading to a goal that the United goalkeeper has made over the past two years, in order of their awfulness.
Clips are provided where possible. It makes for a damning body of evidence against the Cameroonian.
22. v Arsenal (September 2023)
Declan Rice struck into a crowd of United defenders and, after a deflection, Onana put in a sprawling dive like he was moving through treacle.
He only got one hand to the ball, where he perhaps should have done better.
First Arsenal goal for Declan Rice vs Manchester United pic.twitter.com/z1Bm7FOZ2E
— Mr. Arsenal (@AzengaMoses) August 15, 2025
21. v Brentford (October 2023)
The United goalkeeper got a hand to a strike from Mathias Jensen, which had already had some pace taken out of it, but couldn’t get enough behind the shot to spot it from going in.
Unfortunate, but not the best look.
20. v Bournemouth (April 2024)
Justin Kluivert burst into United’s box and was able to rifle an effort past Onana’s near post, which the keeper didn’t get a hand to.
19. v Bodo/Glimt (November 2024)
Philip Zinckernagel slotted the ball right between Onana’s legs as the keeper attempted to peacock himself to stop it.
18. v Galatasaray (November 2023, 1st)
A bizarre one this.
Onana was completely wrong-footed by a Hakim Ziyech free-kick from outside the box, moving behind his wall rather than in the other direction, as the ball went in the net with the keeper hardly seeing it.
It looked unconventional and the type of moment that fails to inspire confidence in your own backline.
Gol kedua Nottingham Forest ke gawang Man United tadi malam yang dicetak oleh Morgan Gibbs-White pic.twitter.com/Wj7rUpSlz6
— Berita Sepakbola Dunia (@gilabola_ina) December 8, 2024
17. v Nottingham Forest (December 2024, 1st)
Onana failed to get up to claim a looping Chris Wood header at the back post, which passed over him and bounced in off the woodwork.
Chris Wood has done it AGAIN for Nottingham Forest! 💪
Wood’s header sails over Onana to make it three for the away side 😯 pic.twitter.com/2ViTTZf5dE
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 7, 2024
16. v Copenhagen (November 2023)
Onana got a full arm on a close-range effort from Lukas Lerager, but could only roll it up and into his own net.
In a Champions League campaign where United struggled in a kind group, this was the kind of foot-removed-with-shotgun moment that has become Onana’s speciality.
15. v West Ham (December 2023)
With a pre-Christmas game at West Ham meandering to a forgettable stalemate, Jarrod Bowen knocked the ball off Onana from close range.
The keeper’s attempt to keep it out saw it drop perfectly back onto Bowen’s right leg. The West Ham man was able to turn the ball home and the game was lost.
Bowen goal vs Onana #WHUMUN pic.twitter.com/jcp5EGw1LA
— 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐃𝐀𝐘! (@TodayMatchHD) December 23, 2023
14. v Aston Villa (December 2023)
John McGinn scored a free-kick from the touchline, uncontested by any United players who watched in awe-struck wonder like a child at a fireworks display.
Onana clearly expected some contact in the box as the ball travelled over his head, but none came and he made no attempt to get in the way of it.
Which, if you think about it, should be the first item on his job description.
John McGinn whips in a free-kick from the right, it misses everyone, and Manchester United are behind at Old Trafford again.#MUNAVL | #AVFC
🎥 @primevideosportpic.twitter.com/nkqixp7LAX
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) December 26, 2023
13. v Grimsby (August 2025, 1st)
Grimsby’s Charles Vernam was allowed to strike from the left side of United’s box, and while Onana had his near post covered, the ball powered through him and into the net.
‘Weak, weak, weak,’ as Tony Blair once said at PMQs.
Could have been a huge sliding doors moment for town at the start of this season Vernam staying at the club. Wrap him in cotton wool. 🪄#gtfc pic.twitter.com/th0XtLFacc
— Charl Wilcock (@CWilkes66) September 7, 2025
12. v Tottenham (May 2025)
A biggie this, coming in the Europa League final that may soon be seen as a fork in the road for United’s entire future,
Onana was unable to deal with a tame effort from Brennan Johnson deep inside the box, costing his team the game.
While it came from close range, it was extremely slow, but was behind the United keeper by the time he’d got a hand to it and he could only claw it into the side netting.
Brennan, again! The goal which won us the Europa League exactly one week ago to the very minute 🏆 pic.twitter.com/N4X5cyGnyk
— The Spurs Web (@thespursweb) May 28, 2025
11. v Ipswich (February 2025)
Onana and Patrick Dorgu miscommunicated over a ball on the way into United’s box, with the keeper running out and the defender running back.
Dorgu knocked the ball past the arriving goalkeeper, offering a tap-in to an empty net to Jaden Philogene. Slapstick.
10. v Manchester City (May 2024)
With United holding their neighbours at bay in the FA Cup final, Jeremy Doku struck from outside United’s box and Onana watched it the whole way to his goal line.
The Cameroon international stretched out his left arm down low, but was too weak to turn the ball away from his goal, and parried it into his own net.
A stronger goalkeeper would’ve dealt with it comfortably. He’s lucky United managed to see the game out, or the knives would’ve been out.
The last time Man United met Jeremy Doku⚡️
pic.twitter.com/yDhsePyZii
— Josh (@Joshua_MCI) December 15, 2024
9. v Nottingham Forest (December 2024, 2nd)
Morgan Gibbs-White struck towards the centre of the goal, the ball just swerving away from Onana, with the goalkeeper making no contact as he found himself resembling a crumpled pile of washing in a teenager’s bedroom.
Gol kedua Nottingham Forest ke gawang Man United tadi malam yang dicetak oleh Morgan Gibbs-White pic.twitter.com/Wj7rUpSlz6
— Berita Sepakbola Dunia (@gilabola_ina) December 8, 2024
8. v Galatasaray (November 2023, 2nd)
Two free-kick goals for Ziyech in the same Champions League game in Turkey, and this was a much worse showing from Onana.
He expected contact on the set piece, and given there was none by the time it had reached him, his only reaction was to fumble into his own net.
7. v Grimsby (August 2025, 2nd)
Onana came out to punch a ball in his box rather than claiming it above the heads of the Grimsby attackers, and his contact was against an oncoming attacker, who knocked the ball into an empty net.
6. v Viktoria Plzen (December 2024)
Onana attempted to pass the ball to a team-mate, who was caught on his heels by Pavel Sulc, who ran into the box and squared to Matej Vydra.
The former Watford striker was left with an open goal as the United keeper hadn’t managed to make it back after his cranial short circuit.
Andre Onana won’t want to see that again 🫣
A gift from the United keeper and Reading old-boy Matej Vydra pounces to put Plzen ahead 😱
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/fHlsdddhgp
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 12, 2024
5. v Bayern Munich (September 2023)
Leroy Sane struck from outside the box, and Onana’s dive to stop a ball fairly central in his net essentially saw him jump over it as the ball dribbled through him and over the line.
It was his first European game in United colours. Three months before, he’d impressed in the Champions League final for Inter Milan. Just what are United doing to these players?
4. v Galatasaray (October 2023)
As United struggled against Galatasaray at Old Trafford, Onana passed the ball straight to Dries Mertens in his attempt to bypass the midfield.
The much-maligned Casemiro was forced to hack down Mertens to save his goalkeeper’s blushes, being sent off in the process. This one wasn’t his fault.
3. v Lyon (April 2025, 1st)
Onana dropped a regulation shot in the 95th minute of the Europa League quarter-final first leg.
Rayan Cherki happily picked it up in front of the United keeper and turned it past him for a late equaliser. Howler.
LYON WITH A LATE GOAL! 💥
Andre Onana’s save is spilled into a dangerous area and Rayan Cherki makes no mistake ⚽
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/63a9d5BJs1
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 10, 2025
2. v Lyon (April 2025, 2nd)
Earlier in the same game, Onana had watched Thiago Almada’s long-range, curling free kick approach his goal and stayed on his line.
This meant the ball met him at an awkward length, and the goalkeeper parried up into the side netting, unable to deal with the bounce.
Thiago Almada goal and Onana proved Matic right within 25 minutes 😭😂 pic.twitter.com/cYtCAU1VPW
— TION EYO (@EyoBarca_) April 11, 2025
1. v Nottingham Forest (August 2023)
With Taiwo Awoniyi bearing down on his goal, Onana fell on his backside while retreating, allowing the attacker to pick his spot, given he had no time to get back to his feet.
This was early in his United career. His reputation has never truly recovered.
Taiwo Awoniyi’s early goal in August wasn’t enough for Forest to beat Man United but they will look to back up their impressive win at Newcastle this evening! 👇 pic.twitter.com/KNdT2mJk1q
— Bet9ja: The home of #betBOOM! 💣 (@Bet9jaOfficial) December 30, 2023
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