It’s yet another defeat for Manchester City in the Premier League, and it’s a devastating one in the race for Champions League football.
Manchester City were previously unbeaten against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, since the Reds’ return to the top flight in 2022. Pep Guardiola’s side had won four of five games against Forest.
But the tables have really turned, this season especially. Forest started the day in 3rd and City in 4th with just a point between the two. But Callum Hudson-Odoi’s second half goal in the game at the City Ground handed Nuno Espirito Santo’s side a 1-0 win.
Man City had beaten Spurs in their last Premier League outing, then beating Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup. But defeat in Nottingham prevents City from claiming a third-straight win in all competitions for what would’ve been the first time since the start of the year.
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Joleon Lescott has questions for referee Chris Kavanagh and Elliot Anderson
One of the key incidents in the first half was a tackle from Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson on Phil Foden. Anderson swung in, got the ball but then followed through on Foden, planting his boot at the top of Foden’s shin in what looked a painful clash.
The incident was checked by VAR and cleared, with Chris Kavanagh the referee on the pitch. But the challenge got a lot of Man City fans on social media talking, and former City defender Joleon Lescott too. He thinks there might have been more to the tackle than first thought.
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He said on TNT Sports: “At first I thought it was just a block tackle, and the impact from that would have hurt Phil but after seeing that on this image, I’m a bit more sceptical about his intent, because the ball was on the floor.
“I know it was deemed as natural, but I don’t think that, the fact his leg has risen into the leg of Phil Foden means that’s not as normal as it would appear.”
Phil Foden’s stats for Man City in defeat vs Nottingham Forest
It’s certainly been a difficult season for both Man City as a team and Foden as an individual.
Man City fans have criticised Foden in recent weeks: the 24-year-old has just one assists in his last 10 appearances in all competitions, with no goals, compared to 19 goals and eight assists in the Premier League alone last season.
And his stats against Nottingham Forest showed another difficult performance. He was brought off after 70 minutes.
Statistic Phil Foden vs Forest
Touches 33
Passes 19/21
Pass accuracy 90%
Key passes 3
Duels 1/1
Shots 0
Expected goals 0.16
But Foden is just one of a number of players who’ve disappointed this season. There’s certainly work for Guardiola to do in the summer with a squad rebuild needed, and needed badly.
Up next for the Cityzens is a home game against Brighton next Saturday.