- Nuno Espirito Santo was heavily praised by Man City after Forest’s 1-0 victory
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Say what you want about Manchester City, they are generally quite good losers. Pretty gracious on the whole. Perfecting that particular art with considerable practice, this marked a ninth defeat of the year – more than the previous two seasons combined.
Pep Guardiola never complains – saving any gripes for victories – and the players tend to hold their hands up, even if Ruben Dias did question Nottingham Forest’s dry pitch on another day of sluggish frustration for the deposed champions now 23 points behind Liverpool.
Respect for the opponent is a mantra City live by, a message coming from the top and was in action out in the car park on Saturday afternoon. Txiki Begiristain, the outgoing director of football, hung around to catch Nuno Espirito Santo. Begiristain offered his congratulations, affectionately scratching the Portuguese’s beard, the pair conversing for a few minutes and hugging it out. There was a genuine warmth when Begiristain’s mind will have been racing.
Despite Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late winner, the circumstances of which City will feel were avoidable, and a general malaise in possession, they clearly acknowledge the story at the City Ground masterminded by an unfancied manager leading the sack race betting last summer.
Nuno took Begiristain’s acclaim gracefully. Measured in his acceptance, more measured than the fireworks going off along Radcliffe Road on full time. Those were lit when Forest earned a draw in the same fixture two years ago but felt far more deserving this time.
Manchester City were gracious in defeat after Nottingham Forest’s huge 1-0 win on Saturday
Pep Guardiola’s side fell 23 points behind Liverpool and saw their top four hopes take a blow
Forest, sitting third, are just a few wins away from historic Champions League qualification
Was this the day they cemented Champions League qualification? It feels close now, the division’s standout tale of the campaign with 1979, 1980 and all that. The City Ground shook on Saturday; imagine its foundations if and when a European heavyweight turns up on a Tuesday night in six months’ time.
Forest’s manager appeared less reserved inside the dressing room, it must be said, grooving to tunes as full back Ola Aina gleefully filmed, and it’s good to see that Nuno does occasionally allow his personality out.
Hard not to when every single supporter stays put on the final whistle to roar their team down the tunnel. It really was a sight to behold, an emotional moment when reality felt like it was hitting thousands all in one wave.
With fifth almost certainly enough to make the Champions League – which will present relief for City – and the gap to sixth now five points, Forest will only need a few more wins. At this point, anything less than finishing the job would be something of a failure, as harsh as that might sound.
City, too, would kick themselves were they not to sort this out. After in-form Brighton next weekend, the run-in is favourable for Guardiola after a punishing fixture list including Arsenal away, Liverpool, Tottenham and this reverse in the Midlands.
Guardiola says it’s in their hands and of course, he is correct. If City turn up over these 10 games, they will be in that competition for a 15th consecutive year. Fifteen. Maybe they are actually due to miss out.
There are things to fix. More courage on the ball, for starters, and it was galling to watch substitute Kevin De Bruyne attempting to direct traffic – pointing where he wanted runners – while driving forward with the ball. City are usually so in sync but not here and not this season.
