Liam Delap returned to haunt Manchester City with two goals at the City Ground on Saturday, helping Nottingham Forest to a 3-1 win that extended City’s Premier League losing streak to three matches, according to ESPN. Jair put Forest two up at the break, Delap adding his brace either side of Rayan Cherki’s brief consolation. Oliver Glasner’s side were well worth the three points despite holding just 22 percent of possession.
Key Moments
- 6′, Jair breaks the deadlock, the Forest defender finishing to put the hosts ahead early at the City Ground.
- 18′, Delap doubles the lead, converting from Xaver Schlager’s assist to give Forest a commanding 2-0 half-time advantage.
- 45′, Enzo Maresca makes a double change at half-time, withdrawing Josko Gvardiol and Marc Guéhi, bringing on Nico O’Reilly and Matheus Nunes in a bid to tighten things up at the back.
- 52′, Rayan Cherki pulls one back for City, reducing the deficit to 2-1 and setting up a tense final half-hour.
- 73′, Delap kills the game, heading home from Morgan Gibbs-White’s assist to restore Forest’s two-goal cushion and seal the victory.
Tactical Breakdown
The numbers on the scoreboard told one story; the stats told another. City held 78 percent possession, completed 664 of their 754 passes and registered 12 shots to Forest’s 11. Yet Glasner’s side had the clearer chances when it mattered, converting three of their five shots on target while City managed only four. Forest’s xG sat at 1.04 against City’s 1.61, so the scoreline flattered the hosts slightly, but Forest were clinical in a way City were not.
Maresca’s decision to make a double defensive substitution at half-time, pulling both Gvardiol and Guéhi, spoke to how badly City were exposed behind the press in the first half. The alterations failed to stop Delap from finishing the job in the 73rd minute, assisted by Gibbs-White, who had been Forest’s most creative outlet throughout. Cherki’s 52nd-minute goal briefly threatened a City revival, but Forest simply retreated, absorbed the pressure and hit on the counter.
For City, the lack of cutting edge from Erling Haaland and Jerome Doku was damaging. Haaland went the full 90 minutes without a goal contribution, and Doku, who rated among the lowest on the pitch, could not create the moments of quality City needed to turn possession into goals. When Phil Foden came on with 12 minutes left, it was too little, too late.
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Verdict
The result leaves Manchester City second in the Premier League table on 21 points, six behind leaders Arsenal, with their three-match losing run in the league raising real questions about consistency under Enzo Maresca. For Nottingham Forest, the win moves them to 9 points and offers a boost of confidence, though Glasner’s side will need to build on this if they are to climb away from the lower half of the table.
Manchester City
Nottingham Forest