Nottingham Forest 1-2 Manchester City: Rayan Cherki plays as Josep Guardiola’s side slip away with a hard-fought and controversial victory over Arsenal at the City Ground
Manchester City are back at the top of the Premier League thanks to a controversial second-half goal against Nottingham Forest. The match-winner at the City Ground came in the 83rd minute when Rayan Cherki smashed home from a corner kick, infuriating Forest and putting Arsenal under pressure to respond.
City were forced to work hard for a sixth successive Premier League win, but Pep Guardiola’s side found another route, with Erling Haaland and Phil Foden unusually quiet after Christmas.
Forest frustrated City by denying them space in the opening 45 minutes and keeping their most dangerous players off the ball. However, Tijani Lijnders scored the first goal from Cherki’s sharp through ball, giving them a 1-0 lead early in the second half.
Omari Hutchinson equalized for Sean Dyche with a controlled finish from Igor Jesus’ cross from the back post, and John Victor kept Foden at bay to keep things level. In the final stages of the match, Josko Gvardiol connected with the back post and Cherki beat Victor to decide the match.
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As City celebrated, Forest ran up to referee Rob Jones to protest the goal being conceded. The home side felt Morgan Gibbs-White was fouled by Nico O’Reilly, while Murillo also had his shirt torn after a scuffle with Haaland inside the six-yard box.
But their words fell on deaf ears and the goal was confirmed by VAR, giving City three points. The joy on Guardiola’s face at full-time told the story ahead of games against Arsenal and Brighton. The Gunners can return to the top of the Premier League with a win, as they did with their 1-0 win over Everton last week, but the pressure from City is relentless.
Alan Shearer told the BBC: “It’s huge for Manchester City to win under pressure. They weren’t at their best so it’s a really big three points.”
“Rajan Cherki really showed his strength in the second half and deserved his goal. And Erling Haaland also didn’t score and we won again. Now all the pressure is back on Arsenal.”
Cherki, signed for £30m from Lyon in the summer, has made an impact for City in recent weeks and was delighted to be able to contribute at Forest. “When the game comes, the only thing we need is to win,” he told TNT Sports. “The championship is long and very difficult, so we get points. So today is a big win. The next game is very important for us and we are ready.”
Asked about his goals and Haaland’s celebrations, the Frenchman added: “It’s good for the team because the game wasn’t simple. We’re very proud of the team because the championship is very long and the victory is theirs. So we have to enjoy it.”
“I spoke to Erling that week and he said, ‘If you score a goal, you have this celebration,’ so we did that and I’m very happy.”
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