After a painful lunchtime in Nottingham, perhaps Pep Guardiola might have fancied following Jack Grealish’s lead by heading up the M1 for a few pints at North Biddick Social Club.
Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late strike took Nottingham Forest four points clear of Manchester City in the race for Champions League football next season.
Guardiola has already said it will ‘not be the end of the world’ if City miss out on Europe’s main club competition next season, and they will need to pull up their socks to ensure they do not.
A week after his night out in the north-east, Grealish did not leave the bench here as City struggled desperately to find their rhythm. They have now taken only one point from a possible 24 against sides who started the day in the top four and remain a feeble version of the side who conquered Europe two years ago.
Even with Phil Foden restored to the starting XI, City controlled the ball without controlling the game. They created little in the first half as Forest – as has been their habit all season – sat deep and kept their opponents at arm’s length.
There was applause and chanting for Stuart Pearce, who was receiving hospital treatment on Saturday after being taken ill on a transatlantic flight. Forest fans recognised their former skipper in the third minute – the shirt number he wore during his time at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest beat Manchester City to boost their Champions League hopes
Callum Hudson-Odoi smashed the late winner inside Ederson’s near post to spark wild scenes
Champions City were dealt their latest blow in their bid to finish in the top four this season
One of the subplots here was the duel between Chris Wood and Erling Haaland, two of the Premier League’s best forwards this season.
Wood nearly teed up Haaland in the eighth minute when he stumbled on the ball, presenting the Norwegian with a scoring opportunity that he only just failed to accept.
Moments later, Haaland moved menacingly towards Savinho’s cross from the right, forcing Ola Aina to head clear from under his own crossbar. Then it was Nico Gonzalez’s turn to go close with a rising drive from 25 yards.
Elliot Anderson produced an impressive block to deny Foden after the City playmaker had combined with Josko Gvardiol yet there was painfully little goalmouth action.
Not long before half-time, Callum Hudson-Odoi found Morgan Gibbs-White on the edge of the box, only for the Forest skipper to thunder the ball straight back over his team-mate’s head and out for a goal-kick.
Forest tried to push forward early in the second half and Nicolas Dominguez connected well with Anthony Elanga’s cross but found Ederson stationed on his near post. Then Gibbs-White met Elanga’s corner though could not direct his header on target.
As City prepared to send on Kevin De Bruyne and Omar Marmoush, Pep Guardiola threw up his arms in despair when Dominguez threaded a pass through midfield and sent Gibbs-White scurrying towards goal.
Abdukodir Khusanov made a fine block to stop the strike reaching Ederson and at the other end, Nikola Milenkovic defended similarly well against Savinho.
City struggled to create and were undone by Morgan Gibbs-White’s superb crossfield pass
Gibbs-White forced a superb stop from Ederson as Forest carved out the better chances
Nico Gonzalez pulled the trigger from outside the box but couldn’t hit the back of the net
Kevin De Bruyne’s effort from close range forced a brave block from Murillo
Mats Selz collected an aerial ball despite Erling Haaland’s leap into the air
Forest moved four points clear of City with their Champions League dream creeping closer
Guardiola insisted City missing out on the top four would ‘not be the end of the world’
Then Forest came within a whisker of moving ahead. Neither Khusanov nor substitute Rico Lewis could stop Hudson-Odoi cutting on to his right foot and the ball seemed to be destined for the bottom corner when Ederson stuck out his left hand and turned it on to the post.
Neither side were able to build sustained pressure. After a rare moment of uncertainty in the Forest back line, De Bruyne squeezed a first-time shot through the crowd and just over the bar. After a very quiet game, Forest ‘keeper Matz Sels was still alert enough to avoid spilling a De Bruyne free-kick as City players closed in.
Guardiola had been agitated all match and perhaps he knew what was coming when Gibbs-White collected the ball in space near the halfway line. When the ball left his boot, Guardiola dropped to his knees as he watched it float on the toes of Hudson-Odoi, 50 yards away on the right wing.
Hudson-Odoi glided into the box and, with Gvardiol reluctant to challenge, beat Ederson at his near post. Perhaps the Brazilian’s view had been obscured by his team-mate but it was still a save he ought to have made.
Gibbs-White was relieved in the first minute of stoppage time when his attempted clearance fell straight to Mateo Kovacic and the sub’s volley flew a whisker wide.
