Nuno Espirito Santo lead Nottingham Forest to a win over Manchester City
Nuno Espirito Santo got the better of Pep Guardiola
Nuno Espirito Santo may have given Pep Guardiola a piece of advice the Manchester City manager may be wise to heed.
The Nottingham Forest boss saw his team throw up an impenetrable defensive shield before sinking the champions with a late Callum Hudson-Odoi strike. And Espírito Santo said: “When you play against anyone, when you ignore the defensive part of the game, you are making a mistake.
"The basic pillar for us is always a clean sheet. It is very difficult to stop City because they are so talented and create so many pockets of space. They are always going to have chances.
"Our defensive display was good, the organisation was good, and doubling ups (on City players) helped us so much. I am so proud and happy."
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Forest maintained their third-placed position in the Premier League after claiming three points, closing their gap to Arsenal and earning a four-point lead over City. The home side earned their 12th clean sheet of 2024/25, five more than Guardiola's side.
Forest match-winner Hudson-Odoi, who had earlier been denied by a brilliant Ederson save, beat the Brazilian with a fierce near-post shot that the City keeper should have stopped. Hudson-Odoi said: “We fought for every ball and I'm happy we got the win for the fans.
"They're amazing. They give us energy every single game, we appreciate it and try to do our best for them. I’m absolutely buzzing with the goal. We worked hard and we deserved it.
Callum Hudson-Odoi of Nottingham Forest celebrates scoring the winner
Callum Hudson-Odoi of Nottingham Forest celebrates scoring the winner
“I knew I would get another chance - and this one went in.”
City boss Guardiola struggled to come up with many answers for the champions’ 10th Premier League defeat of the season and 15th in all competitions. Guadiola said: “It was a tight game that we lost because at the end we missed one pass and they did a good transition and scored.
“We were a little slow in our process. We struggled to make chances but I always give credit to the opponent because they defended really well.
“We have to find a way to play better. We have to do something. It will not come from the sky.”
City could find themselves outside of the top four by the next time they play. Chelsea welcome Leicester City to Stamford Bridge on Sunday and a win will see the Blues leapfrog the Premier League champions. Newcastle United can draw level with City should they claim victory over West Ham United on Monday evening.
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