Nuno Espirito Santo is keen to look beyond Manchester City’s dismal run of form as he prepares to take his Nottingham Forest side to the Etihad Stadium.
The reigning Premier League champions are winless in seven games in all competitions ahead of Wednesday night’s meeting with the Reds (7.30pm kick-off). They lost 2-0 to Liverpool at the weekend and are now 11 points behind Arne Slot’s men in the battle for the title.
With that in mind, Forest know they will come up against a wounded animal in midweek. But for Nuno, City boss Pep Guardiola remains an icon of the game and someone capable of turning results around.
“It’s the reality of the game - you always have ups and downs,” the Reds head coach said. “Every team has to be ready to face those moments of uncertainty when things are not going well. It’s how long you stay there and how you bounce back from those moments; how you reorganise and improve.
“But Pep is one of the managers the rest of us look at. He is in the small group of managers that was able to influence the game - and that says a lot.
“Their run doesn’t take away the quality and the talent they have. Let’s not forget, they are the champions and they have won so much with such quality players and such a good manager. It is going to be very tough. When you have such quality players and play such good football, for sure they will turn it around.
“We are aware how tough it is going to be. All the games are very tough.
“Playing against Man City, the situation isn’t really what we look at. We look at the quality and the things we have to do. We have to do so many things right to achieve a good performance and a good result there - and that is our ambition.
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“They have been facing such good teams in the Champions League and in the league. We look at what other opponents did right against them so we can do it again.”
The Reds go into the game having bounced back from successive defeats. They toppled Ipswich Town 1-0 at the City Ground on Saturday and are sixth in the table, just one point behind their next opponents.
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