Five things we learned from Nottingham Forest 0-2 Man City | OneFootball

Manchester City rode their luck to pick up a crucial three points in the title race against Nottingham Forest.

Josko Gvardiol headed his side in front in the first-half but Forest squandered several huge opportunities to equalise before the returning Erling Haaland came off the bench and scored with his first opportunity of the game.

The victory means City are now a point behind leaders Arsenal but with a game in hand on Mikel Arteta’s side.

Here’s five big talking points from the game…

Fortunate City lucky to come away with three points

The scoreline might suggest a routine and comfortable victory for City but this was anything but. Pep Guardiola’s side have not looked as assured defensively this season compared with their previous campaign and gave Forest some enormous chances to get back in the game, which they failed to take.

Chris Wood twice spurned easy opportunities to score and Murillo also missed from just a few yards out following a corner. They caused the current champions plenty of problems with their pace and direct counter-attacks especially in the first half and while City got the job done, this will provide encouragement for Arsenal that it is possible that they will drop points before the end of the campaign.

Wasteful Wood

Forest striker Chris Wood will not want to look back at the highlights from this game. The New Zealander endured a nightmare afternoon in front of goal, somehow failing to convert from Gonzalo Montiel’s cut-back when he got his feet in a muddle and then wasting a similar chance in the second half when his weak effort was blocked.

This was an encouraging display for Nuno Espirito Santo and his team in their battle to stay up, but your main striker missing chances as easy as these then makes that task far more tricky.

City miss Foden’s spark

Phil Foden was a surprise omission from the Man City squad due to illness, and this display proved that Guardiola’s side are a much better team when he is in it. The 23-year-old has been in electric form of late having scored five goals in his last two Premier League games and without both him and Erling Haaland in the team from the start, City struggled to create chances at the rate they usually do.

Foden possesses the ability to create something out of nothing and light up the game with a moment of magic, which City could certainly have done with in a first half in which they were under plenty of pressure.

Haaland, however, was back in the City squad having missed the last two games with injury and came off the bench to score his side’s crucial second goal, rolling the ball past Murillo and brilliantly finding the bottom corner in what his first chance of the game. Having him back fit and firing for the last four games of the season is a huge boost to City’s title chances.

Forest fans’ frustrations clear

Nottingham Forest have been at the centre of plenty of controversy following their statement which questioned the impartiality of official Stuart Attwell after their defeat to Everton earlier this month, but what’s clear is that this is a fanbase which is very frustrated at the moment.

The home support voiced their anger at the Premier League, having also been on the end of a points deduction this season after being found to have breached the league’s profit and sustainability rules, the referee following some poor decisions which have gone against them during this campaign, and also Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville for his comments criticising the club and their statement after the Everton game. This is a fanbase which feels it has been harshly treated from many places and makes for a very hostile atmosphere.