Manchester City were defeated by Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest managed to pick up a 1-0 win against the reigning Premier League champions as City’s dismal run of form continued.
Bernardo Silva was criticised after the game, and it was another flat performance from City.
City were tipped to beat Forest before the game, but Nuno Espirito Santo’s men upset the odds.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Ola Aina has been discussing his battle with Jeremy Doku down the wing, and he shared what he kept telling Doku on the pitch.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
What Ola Aina kept telling Jeremy Doku
Aina spoke about Doku and how he felt coming up against the Belgian.
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The Nigerian named the City star as his toughest opponent earlier this season, and, on Saturday, it was another great battle between these two.
Aina says that he found it tough to defend against Doku on Saturday, claiming that he was constantly telling the winger to chill out on the pitch.
“We knew City were hot on our tails, and we needed to get a result here. Thankfully we did,” Aina said.
“You spoke about the battle with Doku in the reverse fixture, how did you see that battle today?” Aina was asked.
“It’s still tough, he’s very direct a tricky player. I kept telling him on the pitch that he needs to chill man. Yeah, he’s a tough opponent and he’s one I like to come up against and test myself,” Aina noted.
“How did you prepare differently?” The defender was asked.
“I got more sleep, more sleep, but you know, I prepare the same, I’m the type of person that gives my best and whatever happens happens, it was a good one today,” Aina concluded.
Jeremy Doku stats vs Nottingham Forest
It was a flat performance from City against Forest on Saturday, but Doku was one of the brighter sparks on the day.
Indeed, Doku was one of the only players who was able to make things happen in this match, and his stats show how effective he was.
|Jeremy Doku stats vs Nottingham Forest|
|---|---|
|Shots|2|
|Dribbles|6|
|Crosses|3|
|Tackles|3|
|Key passes|1|
Unfortunately, Doku’s attacking intent didn’t lead to any goals, as Erling Haaland drew another blank.
Haaland promised that City would step up after their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid last month, but performances have been stagnant as of late.
City are still in a decent enough position to qualify for next season’s Champions League, but they will need to step things up if they are to be playing at the top table of European football again next season.