Nottingham Forest 3-1 Manchester City: Delap double seals City Ground statement

The result

Nottingham Forest produced a 3-1 home win over Manchester City at The City Ground in Round 10 of the Premier League. The hosts struck twice inside the opening 18 minutes, absorbed long spells of City possession, and found the decisive third goal in the 73rd minute.

Liam Delap was named Player of the Match after scoring twice and receiving an 8.21 rating. Jair Cunha opened the scoring, while Rayan Cherki scored Manchester City’s only goal.

Forest make the early moments count

Forest’s opening was decisive. Jair Cunha put the home side ahead in the sixth minute with a left-footed shot, and Liam Delap doubled the advantage in the 18th minute with a right-footed finish from Xaver Schlager’s assist.

That gave Forest a 2-0 half-time lead. It was a scoreline built from the moments that mattered most: Forest registered five shots on target from 11 attempts across the match, compared with City’s four on target from 12 attempts.

City response, then Forest’s answer

Manchester City made two changes at the start of the second half, introducing Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly in the 46th minute. The visitors reduced the deficit six minutes later when Cherki scored with a left-footed shot to make it 2-1.

The goal created a new phase in the contest, but Forest restored their two-goal advantage in the 73rd minute. Delap met Morgan Gibbs-White’s assist with a left-footed finish for his second goal and Forest’s third.

Forest saw out the closing stages to secure the points. The home side made four substitutions in total, with Dan Ndoye and Luca Netz arriving in the 65th minute, Ibrahim Sangaré in the 79th, and Igor Jesus in the 87th.

The numbers behind the game

The statistics underline the contrast between territorial control and the final score. Manchester City had 78% possession and completed 665 of 753 passes, while Forest had 22% possession and completed 138 of 206.

City also recorded more attacks (161 to 64), dangerous attacks (66 to 25), corners (7 to 3), accurate crosses (7 to 2), and key passes (10 to 7). They created three big chances, but the data records all three as missed.

Forest’s defensive contribution was substantial. They made 20 tackles to City’s 13, won 13 tackles to City’s nine, and recorded 11 interceptions compared with City’s one. Forest also made 67 clearances from danger, while City made 88.

At the other end, Forest’s two credited assists came from Schlager and Gibbs-White, both directly linked to Delap’s goals. Cunha’s early strike and Delap’s double ensured that Forest converted their five shots on target into three goals.

Standout performers

Delap’s two goals gave him the top rating of the match at 8.21. Cunha, whose sixth-minute opener set the tone, followed with a 7.88 rating. Gibbs-White contributed an assist for the third goal and was rated 7.29.

For Manchester City, Cherki scored the visitors’ goal and earned a 7.53 rating, the highest in his team. Matheus Nunes, introduced at half-time, was rated 7.12, while Elliot Anderson registered 7.10.

Forest finished with four yellow cards, shown to James McAtee, Ndoye, Netz and Igor Jesus. Manchester City received none. The final whistle confirmed a 3-1 Forest victory: a result shaped by a fast start, Delap’s finishing, and a disciplined response to City’s sustained share of the ball.