Rayan Cherki was the only Man City player to come out of the 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest with much credit, while Josko Gvardiol’s 45 minutes summed up a night of defensive errors at the City Ground.
Manchester City were 2-0 down after 18 minutes, with Jair Cunha and Liam Delap scoring after City gave the ball away in their own half. Cherki’s half volley made it 2-1 early in the second half, but Delap broke away for his second with 17 minutes left.
It is City’s third Premier League defeat in a row, and they go into the international break nine points behind Arsenal. Here is how we rated Enzo Maresca’s players, from goalkeeper to the substitutes.
Man City player ratings vs Nottingham Forest: the defence
Gianluigi Donnarumma: 4
Three goals conceded from five shots on target. Cunha’s opener went under him, and he flapped at a James McAtee corner in the 16th minute that could easily have been a goal. He did save from Murillo after a scramble, but the wobbles at set pieces have not gone away.
Abdukodir Khusanov: 5
Uncomfortable at right-back in the first half, where he gave away a corner under very little pressure. He looked happier once he moved inside after the break, which is where he has usually looked his best this season.
Ruben Dias: 4
The captain was caught out along with Marc Guehi as Delap ran through for the second goal, and his late lunge could not stop the third. He also lost his cool with the referee over a slow Forest goal kick when City needed calm heads.
Marc Guehi: 4
His cross gave Enzo Fernandez City’s best first-half chance, but he was part of a back line that was pulled apart every time Forest broke. Taken off at half-time.
Josko Gvardiol: 3
The worst night of the lot. Caught out of position three times in the first six minutes, he then took a heavy touch in his own half and had his pocket picked for Cunha’s goal. Maresca took him off at the break.
Midfield: who lost the battle?
Elliot Anderson: 4
A hard return to his old ground. Forest fans applauded him in the warm-up, but he hesitated on the ball and let Delap take it off him for the second goal. A volley straight at Matz Sels before half-time was his best moment in attack.
Enzo Fernandez: 4
Should have scored when Guehi’s cross found him, but he headed over from close range. He was lucky to escape a booking for flying into Neco Williams in the second half and was replaced by Phil Foden with 12 minutes left.
Attack: Cherki the only bright spark
Iliman Ndiaye: 4
Set up an early chance for Jeremy Doku and never stopped running, but he and Anderson left the ball to each other in the build-up to the second goal. He squared up to Ryan Yates early on and was dragged down by Dan Ndoye on a counter, which earned the Forest man a yellow card.
Rayan Cherki: 6
City’s best player. He was loose with some of his passing, but when Doku’s cross looped up off a defender, he hit a left-footed half volley into the top corner. It was the moment City briefly took control, and nobody else in a blue shirt produced anything like it.
Jeremy Doku: 5
His cross led to the goal, even if it needed a deflection, and he forced a corner with another. Daniel Munoz kept him quiet for long spells, though, and he rarely beat his man the way he does on his best days.
Erling Haaland: 5
Two sights of goal in 90 minutes: a first-half shot saved by Sels and a curler that went just wide after the break. He was starved of service, but against a side that had not scored at home all season, City needed more from their No.9.
Substitutes
Nico O’Reilly (on for Gvardiol, 46′): 6
Brought more energy down the left and won two corners. Not perfect in the final third, but after Gvardiol’s first half he made a strong case to start.
Matheus Nunes (on for Guehi, 46′): 5
Helped City push higher in the second half, but he could not get close enough to Delap as the striker went through for the third.
Phil Foden (on for Fernandez, 78′): 5
Not enough time to change things. He drove at Forest late on and was fouled by Luca Netz, but he did not create a chance.
Unused substitutes: Rulli, Kovacic, Reis, Lewis, Bouaddi, Allan
Our verdict on Maresca’s side
For all their 78 per cent of the ball, City lost the game in their own half. Both first-half goals came from players being robbed in possession, and the third came on the break while they chased an equaliser. You can read how it all unfolded in our Nottingham Forest 3-1 Man City match report.
The contrast with the 3-2 win at RB Leipzig three days earlier is stark. Anderson set up Haaland’s winner that night, and our Elliot Anderson scouting report warned that teams have found ways to drag him out of position. Nottingham Forest did exactly that, and the international break could not come at a better time for Maresca.
