Nottingham Forest 1-2 Manchester City: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Manchester City won 2-1 against Nottingham Forest. The first half was tense but goalless, with both sides picking up yellow cards – Elliot Anderson for Forest in the 43rd minute and Rúben Dias for City earlier at 36’. Coming off a string of losses including defeats to Fulham and Everton, Forest looked to build on their recent home win over Tottenham, but City, riding a wave of victories like their 3-0 thrashings of West Ham and Crystal Palace, broke the deadlock right after the break when Tijjani Reijnders scored in the 48th minute, assisted by Rayan Cherki.

Forest fought back quickly, with Omari Hutchinson equalising in the 54th minute thanks to an assist from Igor Jesus, but City regained control as the game wore on. A yellow card for City’s Nico O’Reilly at 59’ and even one for their manager Pep Guardiola at 75’ showed the frustration, before Rayan Cherki sealed the win with a goal in the 83rd minute, assisted by Josko Gvardiol. Late substitutions saw City bring on Savinho for Reijnders at 73’ and Nathan Aké for Cherki at 89’, while Forest introduced Taiwo Awoniyi for Nicolás Domínguez at 87’ and Dilane Bakwa for Callum Hudson-Odoi in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide after their mixed form of wins against Wolves and Tottenham sandwiched between losses.

Manchester City dominated possession with two-thirds of the ball, which helped them control the tempo and create more chances, as shown by their higher number of successful dribbles that kept Forest on the back foot. Both teams had the same number of corners, suggesting Forest were competitive in set pieces despite City’s overall edge, and the assists tally reflects how City’s two helpers led to their goals compared to Forest’s one.

The cards tell a story of a feisty encounter, with Forest picking up just one yellow while City had two for players plus their manager’s booking, but no reds meant it stayed eleven versus eleven. Substitutions were limited to two each side, with Forest making late changes to chase the game and City swapping in fresh legs to protect their lead, all without any penalties or injury-time goals shifting the balance.

The game turned just after half-time when Tijjani Reijnders put Manchester City ahead in the 48th minute with an assist from Rayan Cherki, breaking what had been a tight first half marked by yellow cards for Rúben Dias at 36’ and Elliot Anderson at 43’. Forest responded well, levelling through Omari Hutchinson in the 54th, assisted by Igor Jesus, but City’s quality shone through when Cherki scored the winner at 83’ off a Josko Gvardiol pass, despite a yellow for Nico O’Reilly at 59’ and even Pep Guardiola at 75’ adding to the tension.

Substitutions played a role late on, with City replacing Reijnders with Savinho at 73’ to maintain energy, and later Nathan Aké coming on for Cherki at 89’ to see out the win. Forest tried to push back by bringing Taiwo Awoniyi on for Nicolás Domínguez at 87’ and Dilane Bakwa for Callum Hudson-Odoi in added time, but these changes couldn’t prevent the defeat.

Nottingham Forest lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, which allowed them to stay compact and look for counter-attacks, with players like Omari Hutchinson making an impact in the attacking third by scoring their only goal. Elliot Anderson’s role in midfield brought some energy but also earned him a yellow card, while partnerships up front saw Igor Jesus provide the assist for Hutchinson’s equaliser. Late changes saw Nicolás Domínguez make way for Taiwo Awoniyi and Callum Hudson-Odoi replaced by Dilane Bakwa, adding fresh legs in the final minutes.

Manchester City set up in a 4-3-2-1 formation, giving them midfield control and attacking flair, with Rayan Cherki shining in a creative role by scoring and assisting before being replaced by Nathan Aké late on. Tijjani Reijnders contributed with the opening goal but was subbed off for Savinho, while Josko Gvardiol’s assist for the winner highlighted strong defensive-to-attack transitions. Rúben Dias anchored the backline despite his yellow card, and Nico O’Reilly’s booking showed the intensity in the middle.

Rayan Cherki is Coral’s Man of the Match after a standout performance for Manchester City, where he scored one goal and provided one assist, including setting up Tijjani Reijnders early in the second half before netting the winner himself. He also created one big chance and delivered three key passes, constantly threatening Forest’s defence with his vision and skill. Even though he was replaced by Nathan Aké late in the game, his contributions were decisive in securing the victory.

Recent Premier League matches:

• Loss: 1-2 vs Manchester City (H)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Fulham (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Tottenham Hotspur (H)
• Loss: 0-3 vs Everton (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Recent Premier League matches:

• Win: 2-1 vs Nottingham Forest (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs West Ham United (H)
• Win: 3-0 vs Crystal Palace (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Sunderland (H)
• Win: 5-4 vs Fulham (A)

Nottingham Forest have just lost 1-2 at home to Manchester City, leaving them in 17th place on 18 points and still looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone after a run of form that includes back-to-back losses to Fulham and now City, despite earlier wins over Tottenham and Wolves. Their next match is against Everton on 30 December 2025 at 19:30, with the opponents sitting 11th on 25 points, so a positive result could help Forest pull away from danger and build some momentum heading into the new year.

Manchester City have just won 2-1 away at Nottingham Forest, keeping them in 2nd place on 40 points as they continue an impressive streak of five straight league victories, including dominant displays against West Ham, Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Fulham. Their next fixture is against Sunderland on 1 January 2026 at 20:00, with the opponents in 7th on 27 points, making it a chance for City to maintain pressure at the top and potentially extend their winning run against a mid-table side.

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