Manchester City finally returned to winning ways on Wednesday, although it may have come at a cost to Pep Guardiola.
Having gone without a win in its seven previous games – with Sunday’s defeat to Liverpool their sixth loss during that time – City eventually managed to stop the rot by beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium, thanks to goals from Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.
That result, coupled with the Reds’ dramatic 3-3 draw at Newcastle, means City has narrowed its gap to Liverpool to nine points, while Arne Slot’s side now holds a seven-point advantage over nearest challengers Arsenal and Chelsea.
The win was City’s first since October, although Guardiola is counting the cost after seemingly losing two more players due to injury.
Manuel Akanji went off at half-time at the Etihad, while Nathan Ake was forced off during the second half with what appeared to be a hamstring issue, with Guardiola confirming afterward that both defenders look set to be missing for the weekend at least.
"We needed it," Guardiola said as he reflected on his side’s win. "The club and the players, everyone needed to win. But it is just one win. The problems continued with Manuel and Nathan.
"Nathan doesn’t look good. We will see tomorrow. He could not continue and we will see in three days what will happen.
Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake both picked up injuries in Manchester City's win over Nottingham Forest
Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake both picked up injuries in Manchester City's win over Nottingham Forest (Image: Getty Images)
"I am sad for Nathan. Manu maybe in Turin. Nathan will be longer."
Ake’s injury will come as a particular concern for City, with the Netherlands international having already missed five weeks earlier this season. Next up for Guardiola’s side is a trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday before they head to Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday, when they will hope to have Akanji back.
Liverpool.com says: City were never likely to keep losing games, and you wouldn’t be surprised if last night’s victory proves to be something of a springboard for them now. Still, having two more defenders out injured could be a big blow for them, especially given the problems they’ve had without Rodri so far.
Liverpool can’t really pay much attention to what is going on at City right now, all it can do is try to keep winning games and make sure they stay well clear of Guardiola’s side. We all know what can happen if they’re given a route back into the title race.