Nottingham Forest 3-1 Manchester City

Cunha 6'                                        Cherki 52'

Delap 18', 73' 

Forest were winless in five Premier League matches, losing four of them and were yet to score a goal at home this season. Their next opponents? Manchester City. Yet this was a game that Reds’ fans would feel quietly confident in.

The Reds sat 19^th in the table after winning just one of their opening nine games, which came away at Aston Villa back in game week 4. They have been putting in the right performances but defensive errors and a lack of clinical finishing has been costing them. However, last week at Brentford, there was an anomaly. Forest lost 2-0 but their performance showed a lack of fight and desire. Oliver Glasner passionately called for his players to take accountability in his fiery post-match press conference. He knows he is playing his part as Forest rank in the top 5 in both defensive and attacking stats. They have the second most shots in the league this season yet have scored the fewest goals with 6 and the lowest shot conversion rate at just 4%.

As well as his words pushing the players on, he also made 2 changes to his side. Munoz replaced Aina whilst club captain Ryan Yates came in for Ndoye, who has suffered illness and a few niggles since returning from international duty, for his first league start since May. Yates coming in surprised me as I would personally have Sangare higher up in the pecking order than him. However, on reflection he had a very good game and provided lots of energy in the midfield which was vital. Although it was due to injuries/illness, I was glad to see Ndoye dropped as he hasn’t offered too much. This meant McAtee was adopting a higher role, playing as another 10 alongside Morgan Gibbs-White, who was making his 200^th Premier League appearance.

Man City started the season winning their opening seven league games before suffering back-to-back defeats to Aston Villa and Brighton (these two defeats in their last two league outings are as many as in their last 33). However, midweek in the Champions League, they did win 3-2 away to RB Leipzig. Enzo Maresca named 2 changes from their last topflight outing. Guehi replaced Nunes whilst Cherki came in for Bouaddi.

City have lost just one of nine meetings with Forest since their return to the Premier League in 2022. The Reds one victory came back in 2024/25 when they finished 7^th as a late goal from Hudson-Odoi sealed a 1-0 win and the three points. However, the Blues are looking to record consecutive topflight away wins at the City Ground for the first time in just over 100 years.

The start couldn’t have been any better for the hosts. City were passing the ball around the back, looking to build an attack. However, Forest came onto them, aggressively pressing. From centre-back, Cunha pushed up high, pinching the ball from Gvardiol, 35 yards from goal. He continued to drive towards goal, despite being a centre back and having attacking options around him. He broke into the box before shooting from 15 yards out to slot it into the bottom left corner. That’s his first goal in a Forest shirt and what a goal it was!

Forest were showing they were up for the battle in the opening 20, going into duels and winning second balls. Their early fight was rewarded as things got even better. Ndiaye looked to chip a ball into the box but Milenkovic, on his 100^th Forest appearance, read the danger and headed clear. As the ball landed, there was miscommunication between Ndiaye and Anderson, who was returning to the City Ground, as to who was gathering. This allowed Schlager to come in and get to the ball first, poking it for Delap to pick up just inside his own half. The striker continued to drive towards goal, not being engaged by any City player, before shooting from just inside the box and into the top of the net. This is the earliest City have been 2-0 in a league game since 2019.

The visitors needed to tighten up at the back as they were giving the ball away far too easily and they were deservedly being punished. However, so far this season, Forest have allowed their opponents back into games through poor defending and they almost allowed it again. Doku and Guehi linked up down the left before the latter whipped a ball into the box, aiming for the back post. Fernandez was running in, unmarked, and got to the ball first from six yards out but he could only head narrowly over.

City were pushing to get themselves a goal back, dominating possession but Forest were defending as a team and keeping their shape. However, in just two passes, they were almost carved open. From just inside the opposition half, Anderson played a lovely ball to Khusanov who made a diagonal run towards goal from the right. He noticed Haaland to the left of him, making a run between Milenkovic and Cunha and played the pass to him. It was slightly wide and Sels had come out which increased the angle but he still managed to get the shot away from a tight angle. Unfortunately for him, Cunha was on the line to clear it. Haaland has scored in every away game this season but has blanked in his last five against Forest in all competitions.

In a bid to get his side going, Maresca made two half time substitutes as O’Reilly and Nunes replaced Guehi and Gvardiol. This worked as City got one back just seven minutes after the restart. Cherki played a long ball out to Doku on the left. Munoz was caught ball watching, allowing the Belgian to get in behind. He broke to the byline before crossing into the danger area but the delivery hit Yates on his way through. Unfortunately for the skipper, the ball landed in the path of Cherki who struck it on the half volley from the edge of the box and right into the top left corner. The technique was unbelievable and there was nothing any red shirt could’ve done to stop that.

The visitors were re-energised and they pushed to find an equaliser, piling on the pressure.  Nunes received the ball out on the right and delivered in a first time cross. The ball evaded the City shirts at the near post but it fell to Haaland just inside the area. He took a touch before looking to place it in the top right corner. However, it whistled narrowly wide.

A common theme for the Blues this season has been defensive errors and it had already cost them twice so far in the game. Yet, they nearly conceded a third from their own doing. City were passing it around the back but due to Forest’s high press, Murillo dispossessed Fernandez just 25 yards out. He passed to Yates in space to the right of him who took on a shot from the edge of the box. Yates slipped as he hit the ball and it looked like the shot was going to be an embarrassing one but it deflected off the foot of Anderson and looked to be creeping just under the bar. Unfortunately for Forest, it crashed off the bar instead.

The Reds had to weather the City storm as the clock ticked down and the nerves were building around the City Ground stands. That was until Delap leathered the ball into the Trent End net. The combined effort of Cunha and Yates cleared a City attack out the box. Delap wrestled Nunes for the ball before passing it through him and Anderson for Gibbs-White to run onto. He drove 35 yards before laying it off to Delap to his left. He took a touch to get himself into the box before unleashing a strike off the inside of the right post and in. Both the fans and players were lapping up the celebrations and Glasner couldn’t help but get involved too, running the length of the touchline to hug his squad.

City had nothing left to offer and Forest picked up their first 3 points at home in the league since April. The visitors are only the second side in topflight history to win their first seven then lose three. They will look to bounce back against Fulham after the international break whilst Forest will hope they can kick on from this and follow it up with a win away at Bournemouth.

Forest: Sels; Murillo, Milenkovic, Jair Cunha; Williams, Schlager Yates (Sangare 76'), Munoz (Netz 65'); Gibbs-White, McAtee (Ndoye 65'); Delap (Jesus 87')

Manchester City: Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Guehi (Nunes 46'), Gvardiol (O'Reilly 46'); Anderson, Fernandez (Foden 78'); Ndiaye, Cherki, Doku; Haaland