Premier League GW35 - Nottm Forest vs Man City

Nottm Forest vs Man City | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Manchester City defeated relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest 2-0 in a pivotal Premier League match. With goals from Josko Gvardiol and Erling Haaland, City's victory maintains them one point behind league leaders Arsenal in the title fight.

Nottm Forest:

With just one win in their last nine top-flight games (three draws and five losses), Forest is fighting to stay in the Premier League and is only one point above the drop zone. In their most recent game, the Tricky Trees met relegation rivals Everton and lost 2-0 due to goals from Dwight McNeil and Idrissa Gueye. Following the release of a strongly worded social media post challenging the officiating choices and the selection of Stuart Attwell as the video assistant referee, Forest found themselves at the centre of an off-the-field controversy. To aid in their struggle for survival, Nuno Espirito Santo's team will seek to extend their winning streak at the City Ground to four games. They will also draw some encouragement from their 1-1 home draw against the Premier League winners in the previous season.

Man City:

City, who have won their last eighteen Premier League games, cruised past Brighton in what could have been a challenging match on Wednesday. After a brilliant header from Kevin De Bruyne and a brace from Phil Foden, the Citizens led 3-0 at the break. Julian Alvarez then added a fourth goal shortly after the hour. With two games remaining, Pep Guardiola's team leads the Reds by one point, with Arsenal emerging as their primary rival for the championship. This is because Liverpool only managed to pick up one point from their previous two matches. With two more games played than Ciy, the Gunners lead the table by four points following their close 3-2 victory against Tottenham earlier today.

Line ups:

NOTTINGHAM FOREST (5-4-1): Matz Sels; Neco Williams, Moussa Niakhate, Willy-Arnaud Boly, Murillo, Ola Aina; Anthony Elanga, Danilo, Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi; Chris Wood.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST SUBS: Matt Turner, Ibrahim Sangare, Harry Toffolo, Giovanni Reyna, Ryan Yates, Divock Origi, Gonzalo Montiel, Andrew Omobamidele, Rodrigo Ribeiro.

MANCHESTER CITY (3-2-4-1): Ederson; Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol; Rodri, Manuel Akanji; Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish; Julian Alvarez.

MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: John Stones, Mateo Kovacic, Erling Haaland, Stefan Ortega, Sergio Gomez, Matheus Nunes, Scott Carson, Oscar Bobb, Rico Lewis.

The City Ground Stadium | Picture Credits - Football Ground Guide

Gvardiol scored a goal for Man City and gave them a lead of 0-1 | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

First Half: Gvardiol's Header Breaks the Deadlock

Forest had a close call early in the game, but in the 32nd, City took advantage of a set-piece opportunity. Josko Gvardiol received a pinpoint corner from Kevin De Bruyne, and he headed the ball beyond Matz Sels, the Forest custodian, to give City the lead.

Even though they gave up, Forest had chances to equalise the game before halftime. Both Chris Wood and Murillo wasted excellent opportunities; Wood missed a close-range shot, and Murillo was unable to finish from a few yards away.

Second Half: Haaland Seals the Win
Forest kept trying to tie the score in the second half, but City's defence held firm. Erling Haaland was brought on by City manager Pep Guardiola, and he had an instant effect, doubling City's lead in the 71st minute. After De Bruyne set him up, Haaland coolly tapped home, thus destroying Forest's hopes of a comeback.

Pep Guardiola managed Manchester City for the 300th time in the Premier League with this match. Guardiola has led City to dominance, with the team winning 221 of 300 games and scoring 741 goals. Guardiola's achievement was accompanied with a vital win that maintains City's hopes of winning the title.

Again, despite their best efforts, Forest's defensive weaknesses were apparent. This season, the squad has failed to maintain a clean sheet and has given up 23 goals from set pieces, underscoring a need for improvement if they are to stay in the league.

With their 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, Manchester City keeps pressure on leaders Arsenal and moves them closer to the top of the Premier League standings. Guardiola's team displayed its talent and tenacity, and Forest's defensive shortcomings paid them dearly once more. As the season draws to a close, City is still very much in the running for the championship, while Forest will have a difficult time hanging onto their first flight position.

Haaland scored a goal and doubled Man City's lead to 0-2 | Picture Credits: Premier League Website