Nottingham Forest add to Man City’s woes with late 1-0 victory

LONDON – Nottingham Forest dealt a major blow to Manchester City’s bid to qualify for the Champions League on March 8, as Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late winner sealed a 1-0 English Premier League win in their top-four showdown.

City have been reduced to battling for a place in next season’s Champions League after a dismal campaign. Even that usually routine target is far from assured for Pep Guardiola’s men after their ninth league defeat this term.

Forest’s big win at home, meanwhile, meant they remain in third place on 51 points, three behind second-placed Arsenal who travel to Manchester United on March 9.

“You could see how energetic we were, we fought every battle,” said Hudson-Odoi to TNT Sports.

“I’m happy we got the win for the crowd. Look at them, it’s amazing. We appreciate it and try to do our best every game for them. Every game we play is difficult. We have to fight every single game, we worked hard and deserved it.

“We’re buzzing but we recover and go again next week... we believe in them (the fans) and they believe in us.”

Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo was thrilled with the victory.

Asked what he was most pleased with, he said: “The organisation, the resilience, we know how hard it is to play City.

“We have shown a big improvement from last season but now is about enjoying the moment. We are in a good place, the fans are happy and we keep going on this journey. We take it game by game.”

With six titles in the past seven seasons, City have rarely had to worry about their place in the Premier League’s top four in the Guardiola era. Yet they left the City Ground looking anxiously over their shoulders after a first league loss to Forest since 1997.

Fifth-placed Chelsea, just one point adrift of City (47), will go above the champions if they beat Leicester on March 9.

Finishing fifth could still be enough for City to reach Europe’s elite club competition. But for them to achieve that modest goal, they will have to significantly improve on the latest limp display in a turbulent season.

The story of the day belonged to Forest, however.

Enjoying a fairy-tale season just a year after battling relegation, the former European champions are closing on a berth in the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81. But the win did not come easy as they had to improve from a tepid first half.

City went close when Josko Gvardiol picked out Phil Foden, whose shot was blocked by Nicolas Dominguez, before Bernardo Silva wastefully fired over with Erling Haaland unmarked and waiting for a pass that never came.

Jeremy Doku’s strike then forced Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels into action for the first time.

A woeful effort from Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White finished closer to the corner flag than the goal, an ugly misfire in keeping with the scrappy fare.

It was better for the hosts after the interval, as Anthony Elanga crossed to the far post where Dominguez’s volley finally forced Ederson to make a save.

Guardiola sent on Omar Marmoush, Kevin de Bruyne, Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic in a bid to spark City into life. But the changes did not have the desired effect as Forest found late momentum.

De Bruyne’s free kick was saved by Sels, but Hudson-Odoi stole the show – and crucially the points – as the City Ground erupted in the 83rd minute. Gibbs-White conjured an inch-perfect pass to Hudson-Odoi and the forward cut inside before drilling a superb strike past Ederson’s weak attempted save at the near post.

Most of the 30,000 fans sang and danced at the final whistle, and rightfully so.

Former City defender Joleon Lescott, speaking as a pundit on TNT Sports, said Forest thoroughly deserved their win.

“Exceptional in both halves from Forest. They fully deserved to go in level at half-time having not conceded after a diligent defensive performance,” he said.

“In the second half there was a lot more emphasis on getting forward and creating chances... Forest fully deserve to be where they are in the table.

“They have been very consistent, and hopefully now they can get it (Champions League place) over the line.” AFP, REUTERS