Manchester City suffered late heartbreak at the City Ground on Saturday after Callum Hudson-Odoi’s strike earned Nottingham Forest an important 1-0 Premier League victory.
The Cityzens missed the opportunity to leapfrog their hosts and take an enormous step towards Champions League qualification after Ederson was beaten too easily by Hudson-Odoi at his near post in the 83rd minute.
Victory moves Forest five points clear of fifth place as they solidified their position in the top four, while City know they will finish the weekend outside the Champions League spots should Chelsea avoid defeat at home to Leicester City on Sunday.
How the game unfolded
The early afternoon sun adorned the cacophonous City Ground and Forest were willing to absorb more than the blazing daylight during the early stages, sitting deep and soaking up consistent pressure from their visitors. It was the expected pattern of play prior to kick-off and neither side appeared intent on bucking trends.
Inviting City deep into their own third almost proved costly in the opening exchanges, however, with Nico Gonzalez rattling the woodwork after being gifted too much room to engineer a shot. The Spaniard’s thunderous drive from range served as Forest’s first major warning sign.
Despite their territorial dominance – 68% possession at half-time – City struggled to conjure many meaningful opportunities during the first half. An expected goals total of 0.54 arguably flattered the visitors, who were unable to unlock Forest’s watertight rearguard.
There were few alterations to the flow of the encounter after the restart and Pep Guardiola was forced to turn to his star-studded bench for inspiration. Kevin De Bruyne and Omar Marmoush both entered the fray as the Cityzens attempted to up the intensity with 20 minutes to spare.
City had almost found themselves behind just a few minutes before Guardiola’s attacking substitutions and were reliant on a stunning save from Ederson to deny Forest the lead. The Brazilian’s view of Callum Hudson-Odoi’s effort was obscured by defenders but his lightning-quick reactions enabled him to push the winger’s shot onto the post.
But Ederson soon morphed into the villain in the final ten minutes as Forest snatched a vital victory. Hudson-Odoi once again took aim at his goal but the 31-year-old’s palms were too weak on this occasion as he failed to parry the near-post effort.
Mateo Kovacic almost produced a stoppage-time equaliser as he volleyed agonisingly wide of the far post, but Forest held firm to secure another clean sheet and three crucial points.
Check out the player ratings from Nottingham Forest 1-0 Man City here.
There was a feeling that Forest might just steal victory as Saturday’s contest wore on, and so it came to pass. The hosts were getting more and more joy on the counter-attack as City pushed men further forward, while their defence seldom looked likely to surrender even a half-chance, let alone a goal.
A spirited and organised display was worthy of victory against the sub-par Cityzens and it now puts them in pole position to secure an astonishing return to Europe’s top table. They have frequently shown their ability to mix it with the best England has to offer this season and will not look out of place in the Champions League next season if they’re able to continue on their current trajectory.
While City will still be expected to finish in the top four, the threat of Guardiola missing out on Champions League qualification for the first time in his career is an alarmingly real possibility. The Cityzens were unconvincing in the final third and showed little fight once falling behind.
It’s not difficult to see how Forest have now managed 12 Premier League clean sheets this season, with Nuno Espirito Santo prioritising defensive stability over attacking flair. But such a tactical approach is only possible when you boast the proper personnel.
The centre-back pairing of Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo has often proved immovable during Forest’s surprise ascent up the standings, with the latter in particularly defiant mood on Saturday. The 22-year-old has won admirers among Europe’s giants and stifling Erling Haaland and Co. will only further his reputation.
The Brazilian was impressively proactive against the Cityzens, stepping forward to snuff out danger but also throwing his body on the line when required. He made ten clearances – double any other player on the pitch – won all of his duels and wasn’t dribbled past once. He also enjoyed more touches than any other Forest player and was confident in his distribution.
Murillo once again proved his defensive credentials ahead of an intriguing summer of GOSSIP, this time against the division’s second-highest goalscorers.
Phil Foden appeared to have rediscovered the form that won him the 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Season award around the turn of the year, scoring six times in January alone. However, the goals have been absent since, with Saturday’s blank taking his goalless streak to ten matches in all competitions.
Foden operated as part of a central midfield double act with Bernardo Silva, sitting in front of City’s enforcer Gonzalez, but struggled to find pockets of space in the final third up against the low block of Forest.
Usually, deep-lying defences prove no match for Foden’s ingenuity and sharp feet, but the England international is evidently short on confidence and was more or less a passenger throughout at the City Ground. It was little surprise to see him withdrawn with 20 minutes to play.
Pep Guardiola needs more from one of his chief creative forces.
