Nottingham Forest boost growing Champions League hopes as Man City beaten - 5 talking points
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1-0 MANCHESTER CITY: Callum Hudoson-Odoi's late strike earned the home side three points to extend their advantage over Pep Guardiola's side in the Premier League
by Scott Trotter · The MirrorCallum Hudoson-Odoi scored a late winner to secure three points for Nottingham Forest against Manchester City.
The former Chelsea winger proved the difference to earn Forest a four-point advantage over their opponents as their Champions League dreams drew another step nearer. It was a tight affair that personified some of the top teams in the league, but often failed to entertain as result.
There were few clear-cut chances but Ederson was forced to keep City in the game with a fantastic save after he saw Hudson-Odoi's shot late after 67 minutes. The Forest star returned little over 15 minutes later to beat the Brazilian at the near post when he should have done better however.
A jubilant City Ground provided a fantastic soundtrack to the end of the game as they continue to dream. Mirror Football takes a look at the talking points to arise from the game.
Battle for top four
It is a rare moment when Nottingham Forest sit above Manchester City when they meet. A massive 59 points separated the sides at the end of last season but Nuno Espirito Santo's side entered the game a single point better off .
It's difficult to assess who has had the more surprising season but both teams will now want to secure a place in the Champions League. Sitting third and fourth, anything but a win would risk Chelsea having the chance to progress in the table.
"Liverpool was not in the Champions League one, two or three seasons ago, and look now," said Pep Guardiola ahead of the game. Any attempt to play down the significance is not convincing however.
"It is important [the game]." he added. "We want to be in the Champions League next season. We are going to try until the last second, that's for sure."
After being swept away 3-0 earlier this season, Forest showed they were not going to offer City an easy task to qualification however. It's a battle set to go right down to the wire, and the lacklustre entertainment often on display perhaps signalled what was riding on the game.
Guardiola will be left to reflect on his pre-match words after falling to a late defeat and the possibility of soon falling out of the top four.
Wood vs Haaland
When Chris Wood gave the ball away to Erling Haaland early at the City Ground, it felt like the Norway international was about to take advantage of the battle between the Premier League's most pre-emminent, true centre-forwards. Haaland's wasteful effort was more typical of what both offered during the opening half however.
The pair entered the game with 38 league goals between them this season but neither were able to establish their dominance on the game amid good defensive performances. Instead it was Hudoson-Odoi who claimed the headlines with his fifth Premier League goal of the season.
Khusanov resurgence
For many, it will be difficult to forget Abdukodir Khusanov's difficult debut. For City fans it will be probably be frustrating given the transformation he has already shown.
Khusanov has already earned the club's player of the month award and once again looked a sturdy presence with a classy presence to turn a clearance into a pass. The 21-year-old was tested against the physical presence of Chris Wood, particular as Forest became more adventurous in the second period and stood up to the task well.
The defender oferred a fantastic block against a poweful Morgan Gibbs-White shot in the second period. Unfortunately for him, it is Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic who can enjoy their plaudits today.
Nottingham Forest approach
It was a tale of two halves for Forest, and it is difficult to argue it was not impactful. The opening period saw a reserved approached where the Midlands side were happy to have bodies behind the ball and to deny City any clear-cut opportunities.
Midfielder Nicolas Dominguez won more duels than passes completed with the home side seemingly happy to frustrate their opposition. After the break, a new renewed intensity was present in the team however.
Forest buzzed and pressed as they bid to take advantage of the gaps that open as 90 minutes progressed and took control of the game for a portion of the second 45. For how good they looked moving forward could see some suggest, it was a shame they did not start earlier.
But it was a plan worked to perfection as Hudoson-Odoi showed the clinical finish to polish off such a performance.
Pep's substitutions
Matheus Nunes was replaced by Rico Lewis and Nico Gonzalez by Mateo Kovacic after 62 minutes as Guardiola made his first changes. The City boss
There were perhaps other candidates that may have been expected to be replaced first as the likes of Bernado Silva and Phil Foden struggled to make an impact near Haaland. It wasn't too much longer before the latter was replaced, much to his chagrin.
Omar Marmoush and Kevin De Bruyne entered the fray at 69 minutes, more typically attacking options than Guardiola first opted for. They helped City begin to turn the tide once again but proved not to be enough.
Outside of his hat-trick against Newcastle, Marmoush has failed to find the net for City, but with his record ahead of joining the club it's not farfetched to think his end-product will be need for more than cameo appearances.
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