Manchester City slumped 3-1 on Nottingham Forest’s turf, marking their third consecutive Premier League defeat. The loss leaves the title‑chasing Sky Blues reeling.
A cloud of crisis hangs over Manchester, whose leaky defence has cost them another loss at the low‑ranked Forest. The 3-1 setback hands Arsenal a welcome boost at the top.
After ten rounds, the Manchester runners‑up sit on 21 points, six behind leaders Arsenal’s 27. Brighton, third with 19, now loom as a direct threat ahead of their Sunday clash with Brentford.
Enzo Maresca’s side launched the campaign perfectly, winning their first seven games, only to see that momentum erased by three straight defeats, following setbacks to Aston Villa and Brighton.
Forest entered the match as relegation candidates and hadn’t scored at home yet. The Reds struck twice in the opening 20 minutes: Jair Cunha (6’) and Liam Delap (18’) each netted. The Brazilian defender, using pressure and strength, slipped the ball past Josko Gvardiol and fired between centre‑backs Marc Guéhi and Ruben Dias. The English striker surged from the midfield circle to blast a missile past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Cherki’s splendid strike wasn’t enough. Can City tighten up defensively and halt the slide before the season’s halfway point?
French forward Rayan Cherki dazzled with a whipped shot from the edge of the box after a defensive clearance (51’, 2‑1), his fifth league goal in nine appearances. Yet City’s backline remains porous. On a counter, aided by Morgan Gibbs‑White, Delap completed a brace, smashing home a left‑footed strike (73’, 3‑1). In my view, City’s defensive frailties are now their biggest liability.
Oliver Glasner, under pressure before the game, sprinted toward his scorer and teammates to join the celebration. Forest’s win (16th, 9 points) pushes Manchester United (18th, 7 points) deeper into the relegation zone as they prepare for Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa at Old Trafford.