Manchester City were made to sweat for it, but in the white-hot atmosphere of the City Ground, Pep Guardiola’s side proved once again that they can win ugly when the occasion demands. It ended 2-1 to the visitors on Saturday, a scoreline that masks just how uncomfortable Nottingham Forest made life for The Citizens.
For 45 minutes, Forest provided a masterclass in defensive resilience. They didn’t just frustrate City; they neutralized them. Erling Haaland and Phil Foden were peripheral figures, starved of service and space.
Statistically, it was a half of historic stagnation. For the first time since their encounter with Liverpool in December 2024, City failed to register a single shot on target in the opening period.
In fact, neither side tested the keeper—a rare feat of mutual offensive futility not seen in a City fixture since they faced Aston Villa in September 2022.
🎅 @ErlingHaaland getting in the Christmas spirit pic.twitter.com/hdX0kccSAF
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 27, 2025
The Breakthrough and the Response
Whatever was said behind the closed doors of the away dressing room clearly resonated. City emerged for the second half with a renewed sense of urgency, and it took just three minutes to break the deadlock.
Tijjani Reijnders provided the moment of clinical precision City had lacked, ghosting behind a static Forest backline to meet a pinpoint delivery from Rayan Cherki. Reijnders made no mistake, sliding his finish beneath John Victor to give City the lead in the 48th minute.
But the City Ground is rarely a place for comfortable afternoons. Forest responded with a move of genuine quality in the 54th minute to draw level. It was a sweeping transition that began at the edge of their own box, featuring a neat double-exchange from Morgan Gibbs-White.
His reverse pass found Igor Jesus, who showed great composure to pick out Omari Hutchinson. The youngster’s left-footed finish was as emphatic as the buildup was intricate.
🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/p9sKGm6ytS
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 27, 2025
The Cherki Show
With the game hanging in the balance and Forest scenting an upset, Rayan Cherki decided the contest. Having already provided the assist for the opener, the Frenchman turned goalscorer in the dying embers of the match.
Following a deep Phil Foden corner, Josko Gvardiol’s clever header back toward the edge of the area found Cherki in space. He didn’t hesitate, smashing a low drive into the bottom corner to secure City’s sixth consecutive Premier League victory.
Cherki’s influence is becoming impossible to ignore. Since the start of November, only Erling Haaland and Bruno Fernandes have recorded more goal involvements in the division. His match-winning performance today also marked a significant personal milestone: 50 career goal contributions across Europe’s big five leagues.
7 – Since the start of November, Rayan Cherki has assisted more goals (7) than any other player in Europe’s big-five leagues. Wizard. pic.twitter.com/1CoOjbRR5M
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 27, 2025
Speaking after the whistle, a jubilant Cherki reflected on the difficulty of the task. “It’s a big win,” he said. “When you come here, you know it’s tough. This game was complicated, and we are very proud. The [campaign] is so long—I am just here to help the team and enjoy it.”
The Frenchman also revealed the story behind his choice of celebration, having mimicked Erling Haaland’s trademark pose. “In the week I spoke with Erling, and he told me, ‘When you score, do the celebration.’ When the game comes, we only need one thing: to win and take the points.”
