Nottingham Forest 1-0 Man City player ratings: Champions League football at City Ground moves one step closer after Hudson-Odoi’s late winner | OneFootball

Two teams competing for a spot in next season’s Champions League faced off at the City Ground, where Nottingham Forest hosted the soon-to-be dethroned Premier League champions, Manchester City.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad has been the surprise package of the 2024/25 campaign, entering gameweek 28 in third place, just one point ahead of City.

After losing the reverse fixture 3-0 last December, Forest saw this match as an opportunity to seek revenge and improve their chances of dining at European football’s high table for the first time since winning their second consecutive European Cup over 40 years ago.

Despite controlling large portions of possession, City rarely threatened Forest’s goal as the match seemed destined for a goalless draw. However, seven minutes before the end, Callum Hudson-Odoi managed to get his shot past Ederson, leading to ecstatic scenes as a remarkable third-place finish is within touching distance.

This result also means Forest have won 11 Premier League games this season without conceding a goal, more victories than they managed across their previous two seasons in the competition combined (7 in 2022-23 and 3 in 2023-24).

As for City, they have lost nine Premier League games this season, their joint-most in a single campaign under Pep Guardiola (also 9 in 2019-20).

Nottingham Forest player ratings

Matz Sels: 77%

A real scare came deep into stoppage time when Mateo Kovacic’s shot narrowly missed Matz Sels’ goal. The shot-stopper made three saves while completing 11 long passes with a 64.7% accuracy.

Neco Williams: 63%

He was encouraged to get forward and didn’t need a second invitation. Williams completed three passes into the final third but didn’t neglect his defensive duties, making two blocked crosses and winning two tackles while registering one interception.

Murillo was the busier of Forest’s centre-backs, posting an impressive 10 clearances, which was the highest on the team. He completed three passes into the final third and finished the match with a 100% success rate in both aerial and ground duels. Murillo successfully initiated an offside trap and won possession three times in the middle third, demonstrating his encouragement to step into midfield and disrupt the play.

Nikola Milenkovic: 61%

This performance from Milenkovic was slightly more subdued, but the languid Serbian central defender still didn’t put a foot wrong and complemented Murillo at the heart of Forest’s backline. He blocked one shot and won two aerial duels.

Ola Aina: 62%

Much like Williams on the opposite flank, Aina marauded forward when needed. He completed one take-on but was dribbled past, such was the risk against City’s speedy wingers.

Elliot Anderson: 60%

It wasn’t an easy outing for Anderson in today’s midfield battle, as he was dribbled past three times by Forest’s number eight. Although he managed to complete one take-on himself, his three unsuccessful touches and 50% passing accuracy in the final third limited his overall rating.

Nicolás Domínguez: 68%

It appeared that he sustained an injury early in the second half after a hopeful volley. Dominguez was active in Forest’s midfield, winning five tackles, although he was dribbled past on three occasions. He achieved a 100% accuracy in forward passing and won nine duels, ranking first among his teammates in these statistics.

Callum Hudson-Odoi: 74%

He couldn’t believe his luck when an individual effort beat Ederson at his near post. Hudson-Odoi had been positive all game, with both efforts on goal hitting the mark while creating another chance for his teammates.

Morgan Gibbs-White: 59%

No player in a Forest shirt completed more take-ons than Gibbs-White, who managed two. Only two players from the home team had more touches of the ball in the opposition’s half. His completed passes in the final third totaled 10, which was the second highest on the team. However, he created only one chance and did not have a single attempt on goal.

Anthony Elanga: 62%

Elanga really picked up steam in the second half, finishing the match with just one successful take-on from two attempts. However, he completed four crosses, which was more than any other Forest player, and had seven entries into the penalty area, also a team high. Elanga created two chances for his teammates, but neither was considered a ‘big chance’ since considerable effort was required before the shots could reach the goal.

Chris Wood: 46%

He had only one shot on target throughout the game, but it was a lacklustre attempt by his standards. Wood contributed effectively in other areas, such as assisting with ball distribution and winning three aerial duels.

Man City player ratings

Ederson: 64%

In just a few minutes, Ederson went from hero to zero. He made a fantastic save, but then allowed Callum Hudson-Odoi to score at his near post. It hasn’t been the best season for the Brazilian goalkeeper, and this incident marks yet another low point.

Josko Gvardiol: 67%

The duality of Gvardiol was evident as no City player completed more passes into the final third (12) or won more possessions in the defensive third (four). He also recorded two tackles but felt he could have done better in closing down Hudson-Odoi’s eventual winner.

Rúben Dias: 64%

Posted an impressive 96% retention rate and wasn’t at fault for Forest’s winner, though he could have done better in other areas, such as winning half of his aerial duels.

Abdukodir Khusanov: 71%

Gaining confidence after a challenging introduction to Premier League football, Khusanov made an impact by registering two interceptions that helped retain possession—more than any other City player. He also completed nine passes into the final third and blocked two shots.

Matheus Nunes: 59%

Nunes found himself in an unfamiliar full-back role, a position we are getting used to seeing him play. However, he did not last the full 90 minutes, as the Portuguese international was substituted just after the hour mark. Despite this, it was an eventful outing; he survived an injury scare before receiving a booking for a late challenge. Nunes registered one interception that contributed to retained possession and made a single successful tackle. However, being dribbled past twice somewhat overshadowed his six completed passes into the final third.

Bernardo Silva: 62%

Silva started strong and successfully completed his only take-on attempt. He created two chances, though neither was a clear opportunity, and he was caught offside, failing to register a single shot on goal.

Nico González: 57%

Gonzalez is doing a relatively good job of filling the void left by Rodri, which is no easy task. He departed after the hour mark and won possession twice in the middle third but was dispossessed in his own half. Additionally, he committed three fouls while winning one.

Jérémy Doku: 61%

Doku is starting to establish a pattern, having completed six of his nine attempted take-ons while generating only one goal-scoring opportunity. He also recorded a team-high of three unsuccessful touches, and despite frequently flying down either of City’s flanks, he failed to complete a single cross.

Phil Foden: 61%

This was another quiet outing for last season’s Player of the Year, as Foden registered one shot on goal, which was off target. Playing in a deep-lying forward role, he created three chances, but none were classified as ‘big chances.’

Savinho: 62%

Savinho completed all but one of his three attempted take-ons, having played on either flank before coming off. He created one goalscoring opportunity, and his only shot on goal did not hit the mark.

Erling Haaland: 47%

The Norwegian marksman had another anonymous outing, taking two shots on goal, neither of which was on target, resulting in a final expected goals (xG) score of 0.16. He attempted to involve his teammates by laying off the ball on two occasions, but one high turnover somewhat negated that effort.

How do Squawka player ratings work?

Squawka’s new player rating system is wholly stats-based. Player scores are based on the numbers they put up across a range of on-ball events, from goals scored to tackles won.

We tailored each score to the players’ respective positions using extensive research and expertise. For example, forwards are rated on metrics like shots on target, touches in the opposition box, and big chances created. Meanwhile, centre-backs are rewarded for winning aerial duels, making blocks, successful long-range passes, etc.

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