Callum Hudson-Odoi scored after 83 minutes to snatch a crucial victory for Nottingham Forest against fellow Champions League hopefuls Manchester City at the City Ground.
Pep Guardiola’s side were vying to win four consecutive top-flight games against Forest for the first time, as well as leapfrog their opponents to advance into third place in the Premier League, and came closest in the first half when Nico Gonzalez hit the post from distance.
Then, substitute Kevin de Bruyne wasn’t far off target with just under 20 minutes left, but City still couldn’t find the lethality in front of goal that they’ve possessed for the best part of the last decade.
And Forest made them pay when Hudson-Odoi finished off a piece of individual brilliance, beating Ederson at the near post to send the City Ground into elation.
Story of the Match
Forest were winless in three league fixtures ahead of kick-off and were on their way to extending that degrading run before Hudson-Odoi fired his side into a late lead.
Morgan Gibbs-White sent a stunning, lofted ball through to Hudson-Odoi on the right flank before he drove towards goal as the City defenders tracked back desperately.
Then, with Josko Gvardiol ahead of him, Hudson-Odoi cut the ball onto his right foot before finishing into the back of the net at the near post with a thunderous shot.
Nico Gonzalez hit the post just 14 minutes into the tie (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Nico Gonzalez hit the post just 14 minutes into the tie (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Before the winner, the 24-year-old nearly opened the scoring from another superb piece of solo play after 67 minutes when he took control of the ball on the left before cutting inside and dispatching a sweeping effort.
Admittedly, his shot could have been directed further into the bottom right corner – which would have resulted in a definite goal – but the winger did well to test Ederson, who made an excellent save by pushing the ball onto the post and away from danger.
Earlier on, in the 14th minute, Nico Gonzalez – who City signed from Porto for £50m last month – had the shot of the half when he found space on the inside before releasing a powerful strike from 25 yards out, and hit the post to force an accumulative sigh of relief around the East Midlands.
Seven minutes earlier, Erling Haaland snatched the ball off Chris Wood just moments before he sent a low, right-footed shot across goal but, with Matt Sels beaten, he also steered the shot past the foot of the far post in what was the first big chance of the game.
City’s dominance continued towards the half-time interval when Phil Foden found space down the left before pulling it back for Bernardo Silva, but the Portugal international’s shot was way off target and over the bar.
Nottingham Forest are three points below Arsenal, who face Manchester United on Sunday (Photo by Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images)
Nottingham Forest are three points below Arsenal, who face Manchester United on Sunday (Photo by Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images)
**Ola Aina**’s battle with Jeremy Doku down the left was one to watch for the entirety of the opening period and, on 42 minutes, the Belgian managed to cut across Aina before also beating Nicolas Dominguez. His end product, however, was easy work for Forest goalkeeper Sels.
On 72 minutes, substitutes Mateo Kovacic and De Bruyne had an instant impact on the game when the former’s attempted pass took a touch off Forest defender Murillo before it fell to the Belgian midfielder.
De Bruyne, with multiple red shirts around him, managed to shoot with his left foot from the edge of the box but, to his misfortune, fired it just over the bar.
Despite the lack of chances in the first half, Dominguez – who earned the most tackles, completed all of his attempted passes and won the most duels in that time – tested Ederson just under two minutes into the second period.
Anthony Elanga whipped a left-footed cross into the box from the corresponding flank before the Argentine met the delivery with a side-footed volley, which was saved well by Ederson.