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Manchester City defeated Nottingham Forest 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, September 23, securing their sixth consecutive victory in the 2023-24 Premier League campaign. Early goals from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland enabled the Cityzens to earn the well-deserved three points.
City got off to a flying start when Kyle Walker ran in behind Forest's backline and set up Phil Foden, whose powerful strike found the bottom right-hand corner in the seventh minute. This was quickly followed by a goal from Erling Haaland.
Matheus Nunes, who was signed in the summer from Wolverhampton Wanderers, provided his first assist with an exemplary cross to feed the Norwegian striker in the 14th minute. The Manchester City midfielder expertly found a pocket of space near the touchline and delivered an inch-perfect pass for Haaland.
The visitors, who failed to create any chances of their own, managed to gain control of the game as the half progressed and limited City to just two early goals. However, the course of the game changed dramatically in the second half when Pep Guardiola's team were reduced to 10 men.
Rodri was shown a red card for his confrontation with Morgan Gibbs-White in the 46th minute. The Spaniard put his hands on Gibbs-White's throat and was immediately sent off by referee Anthony Taylor.
City had an opportunity to seal the three points in 77th minute as Nathan Ake found Erling Haaland in front of goal, but the 23-year-old missed a sitter. Thankfully for Haaland, despite some late pressure from the visitors, City did enough to see the game out without any real difficulties.
With this victory, Pep Guardiola's men remain at the top of the English top-flight table. Here's a look at five talking points from the reigning Premier League champions' recent victory.
#5 Julian Alvarez brought his A-game again
Julian Alvarez, who has been thriving in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, looked scintillating until Manchester City were reduced to 10 men. The Argentine forward's link-up play and his ability to find pockets of space during transitions was deadly and caused issues for Nottingham Forest.
Alvarez was also unlucky not to have registered his name on the scoresheet during the opening half when Willy Boly's brilliant block denied him a certain goal. He will be hoping to build on this performance.
#4 Momentary lapse from Rodri restricted City from scoring more
Rodri, who anchors Manchester City's midfield, was shown a red card for violent conduct against Morgan Gibbs-White. The Spaniard, provoked by his opponent, wrapped his arms around Gibbs-White's neck.
Pep Guardiola's men had been relentlessly creating chances until their dependable midfielder momentarily lost his composure. Rodri will miss City's EFL Cup match against Newcastle United and their Premier League matches against Wolverhampton and Arsenal. The game against the Gunners could potentially have huge ramifications in this season's title race.
#3 Matheus Nunes and Jeremy Doku already look settled
While Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic may have higher ceilings as players in comparison to Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes, the latter pair have been performing flawlessly over the past couple of weeks.
Not only did the Portuguese international provide an exquisite assist for Haaland, but his ability to disrupt the opponent's counterattacks and carry the ball has made a huge difference in the absence of Bernardo Silva. On the other hand, Jeremy Doku seamlessly fit into the left attacking flank and consistently troubled Serge Aurier until he was substituted in the second half.
#2 Sloppiness cost the game for Nottingham
Nottingham Forest didn't get much right for most of the first half and conceded two goals, largely due to poor defending. The visitors' failure to show up in the opening moments of the game cost them three points within 14 minutes.
Although they were fortunate not to concede a third goal despite chances falling to Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland, the opening minutes of the game had already taken a toll on their morale. It became one-way traffic after Haaland scored his eighth goal of the season.
#1 Manchester City's defense worthy of a clean sheet
Manchester City's backline remained resilient even after being reduced to 10 men in the second half. The quartet of Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, and Josko Gvardiol dominated the game, preventing Nottingham's forwards from exploiting any opportunities.
Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi, who provided the much-needed drive for the visitors, found it challenging to break through City's defense.
