Manchester City defeated relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest 2-0 to mark Pep Guardiola’s 300th Premier League (PL) game in the dugout. This result pulled the team back to within one point of leaders Arsenal, who have played one more game.The visitors entered the match four points behind the top of the Premier League after Arsenal’s victory in the North London derby earlier in the day. Before Jérémy Doku’s shot whistled past his countryman’s post, Kevin De Bruyne forced Matz Sels into action, posing an early threat to the defending champions at the City Ground. Neco Williams responded by stinging Ederson’s palms to give the Forest devotees signs of support. Sadly, the hosts’ early efforts were undone shortly after the half-hour mark by a straightforward set-piece routine. De Bruyne’s whipped corner found Joško Gvardiol running near the near post, and the striker scored his second Premier League goal with a glancing header.
As the first half was coming to an end, Ederson missed a corner kick, and Murillo lifted the ball over the bar for the hosts to go dangerously close to leveling the score from their own set-piece situation. Ederson’s involvement ended there, as Guardiola had to bring on Stefan Ortega during the halftime break due to an injury. Forest applied pressure, forcing Ortega and his Man City teammates to ride it.
which saw Gvardiol make a vital stop to stop Chris Wood from extending his league record to 12 goals.
Guardiola decided to bring on Erling Haaland from the bench in an attempt to find a vital second goal because Forest posed a serious threat. Within nine minutes of his arrival, the Norwegian, fully aware of his task, delivered, moving the ball onto his right foot and then slotting it into the bottom corner to set off scenes of celebration behind Sels’ goal. Man City’s first league double over Forest since 1990–1991 was finally sealed by Haaland’s 21st goal of the Premier League season, leaving the hosts just one point above the drop zone.