Liam Delap scored twice against the club where he came through the academy as Manchester City slipped to a third straight Premier League defeat, beaten 3-1 by a Nottingham Forest side that had not scored at home all season.
Maresca recalled Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and Jeremy Doku, but City were behind inside six minutes when Gvardiol was bundled off the ball by Jair Cunha, who strode forward to roll a low finish into the bottom corner. On 18 minutes Xaver Schlager beat Elliot Anderson to a 50/50 in midfield and Delap ran from halfway to rifle past Gianluigi Donnarumma. It was the earliest City had been 2-0 down in a Premier League game since November 2019.
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Cherki’s stunning half-volley on 52 minutes sparked a long spell of City pressure, and the visitors finished with 78% of the ball and 33 touches in the Forest box to 14. But Delap finished off a counter on 73 minutes, lashing Morgan Gibbs-White’s pass into the top corner. City, who won their first seven league games, stay second on 21 points but are now six behind leaders Arsenal, while Forest climb out of the bottom three to 16th.
Below, GOAL rates Manchester City’s players from the City Ground…
Goalkeeper & Defence
Gianluigi Donnarumma (5/10): Made two saves and had no chance with any of the goals, but flapped at a whipped James McAtee corner in the first half and was fortunate nobody in red got a touch.
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Abdukodir Khusanov (6/10): Started at right-back and was rarely the problem as the defence unravelled around him. Played the full 90 minutes and did not escape every test, conceding a corner from a dangerous Daniel Munoz cross in the first half.
Ruben Dias (6/10): Wore the armband on his return to the side, but gave away the free-kick from which Cunha shanked a first-half chance wide. City’s back line was nowhere to be seen as Delap ran from halfway for Forest’s second.
Marc Guehi (6/10): Whipped in a wonderful cross from the left that Enzo Fernandez should have converted on 25 minutes, and also picked out Erling Haaland for City’s first effort on target. Replaced by Matheus Nunes at half-time.
Josko Gvardiol (4/10): A night to forget at left-back. Took a heavy touch and was bundled off the ball far too easily by Cunha for the sixth-minute opener. He was replaced by Nico O’Reilly at the break.
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Midfield
Elliot Anderson (6/10): A tough return to his old club. Lost the 50/50 with Schlager that sent Delap away for Forest’s second, but grew into the game after that, threading the pass that started the move in which Haaland was denied on the line and volleying straight at Matz Sels.
Enzo Fernandez (5/10): Should have halved the deficit on 25 minutes but headed over from close range from Guehi’s cross. Was later robbed by Murillo in a move that nearly brought Forest a third, and was booed off when replaced by Phil Foden on 78 minutes.
Rayan Cherki (8/10): City’s standout performer. Played Iliman Ndiaye in for City’s first chance, then pulled one back on 52 minutes, meeting Doku’s deflected cross with a sweet left-footed half-volley into the top corner for his fifth Premier League goal of the season.
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Attack
Iliman Ndiaye (7/10): City’s liveliest outlet on the right. Picked out Doku for an early shot, combined well with Nunes after the break, and his burst forward forced Dan Ndoye into a cynical foul and a yellow card.
Jeremy Doku (6/10): Had an early shot blocked and his final ball was often lacking, but he came alive after the break. Got in behind Munoz to deliver the cross that deflected off Ryan Yates for Cherki’s goal, and gave the wing-back such a hard time that he was withdrawn on 65 minutes.
Erling Haaland (6/10): Rounded Sels on 41 minutes only to be denied on the line by Cunha, and scooped over from a Nunes cross after the break. Rarely got the service he needed against a deep Forest defence.
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Substitutes & Manager
Matheus Nunes (7/10): Replaced Guehi at the break and gave City more thrust down the right, delivering the cross that Haaland scooped over. Also blocked a Delap shot and stopped Gibbs-White late on.
Nico O’Reilly (6/10): Replaced Gvardiol at half-time and pushed on from left-back. Doku slipped him in behind for a low delivery that Murillo cleared, though he could not make proper contact with a Nunes cross just after the restart.
Phil Foden (6/10): Replaced Fernandez on 78 minutes and tried to make things happen, drawing a late booking for Luca Netz, but Forest saw the game out.
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Enzo Maresca (4/10): His three changes backfired, with the recalled Gvardiol at fault for the opener. His side improved after the break, but City have now lost three in a row in the league after winning their first seven.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
