**Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina has revealed what he told Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku during the pair’s head-to-head battle at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon.**
The Premier League’s surprise package in Nuno Espirito Santo’s side took a huge leap towards securing UEFA Champions League football for next season as they handed a 1-0 defeat upon the reigning top-flight champions.
Nottingham Forest opened up a four-point gap on their top-four rivals in Manchester City thanks to Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late winner beating Ederson at his near-post from a tight angle inside the penalty area.
One of the main battles on the pitch, that was largely anticipated in the lead-up to the fixture, was the clash between the hosts’ star right-back Ola Aina and Manchester City’s in-form winger Jeremy Doku.
The match-up between the pair did not disappoint as Doku won plenty of one-vs-ones down the left of attack, but also found his match on many occasions, forcing Guardiola to switch the Belgian over to the right of the attack for the second-half.
Speaking to television broadcasters after the contest in Nottingham on Saturday afternoon, Ola Aina was quizzed on his intense battle with the lightning-quick and tricky Manchester City winger.
“He’s very direct, he’s a tricky player,” Aina admitted to broadcasters.
The Nottingham Forest full-back went on to reveal, “I was telling him on the pitch as well, ‘You need to chill man, yet get me?’ You know what I mean?!
“He’s a tough opponent.”
Jeremy Doku and Manchester City will be wanting to bounce back from their crushing defeat at the City Ground with a win as soon as possible, but their early exit from European competition means they have to wait until Saturday before returning to action.
It is the turn of Brighton & Hove Albion to test Manchester City’s credentials to the maximum as Fabian Hurzeler’s side also go in search of a European position as they maintain their ever-impressive campaign in the Premier League.
The match-up with the Seagulls will be City’s final outing before the March international break, with football resuming with an FA Cup quarter-final tie on the south coast against Bournemouth at the end of the month.