Nottingham Forest 1-2 Manchester City: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Ladbrokes’ post-match review of Nottingham Forest 1-2 Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, 27 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Manchester City beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 at the City Ground. The first half ended goalless, with City dominating possession but failing to break through a resilient Forest defence, as Rúben Dias picked up a yellow card in the 36th minute and Elliot Anderson followed for Forest in the 43rd. City came out stronger after the break, taking the lead through Tijjani Reijnders in the 48th minute, assisted by Rayan Cherki, which built on their recent run of five straight league wins.

Forest equalised quickly in the 54th minute when Omari Hutchinson scored, assisted by Igor Jesus, showing some fight after back-to-back losses coming into this match. City regained control and sealed the win with Cherki’s goal in the 83rd minute, assisted by Josko Gvardiol, despite yellow cards for Nico O’Reilly in the 59th and manager Pep Guardiola in the 75th. Late substitutions saw Savinho replace Reijnders for City in the 73rd, while Forest brought on Taiwo Awoniyi for Nicolás Domínguez in the 87th and Dilane Bakwa for Callum Hudson-Odoi in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide against a City side in top form.

Manchester City’s 66% possession underlined their control of the game, allowing them to dictate the tempo while Forest sat back and looked to counter, which showed in their lower 34% share but still effective 35 successful dribbles compared to City’s 52. Both sides earned five corners each, suggesting Forest created some set-piece threats despite being outplayed overall, and the assists tally of two for City against one for Forest highlighted their sharper attacking edge.

Discipline saw Forest pick up just one yellow card, while City had two plus one for their manager, pointing to a feistier approach from the visitors without any reds. Each team used two substitutions—Forest replacing Nicolás Domínguez with Taiwo Awoniyi late on and Callum Hudson-Odoi with Dilane Bakwa in added time, while City brought Savinho on for Tijjani Reijnders and Nathan Aké for Rayan Cherki— but no penalties or injury-time goals shifted the balance further.

The game turned in the second half when Tijjani Reijnders put Manchester City ahead in the 48th minute with a goal assisted by Rayan Cherki, breaking the deadlock after a tight first period marked by yellow cards to Rúben Dias in the 36th and Elliot Anderson in the 43rd. Nottingham Forest responded well, levelling through Omari Hutchinson’s 54th-minute strike assisted by Igor Jesus, but City’s pressure paid off again when Cherki scored in the 83rd, assisted by Josko Gvardiol, to restore their lead.

Substitutions added late intrigue, with Savinho coming on for Reijnders in the 73rd for City, followed by a yellow card to manager Pep Guardiola in the 75th and Nico O’Reilly’s booking in the 59th showing tensions rising. Forest tried to chase the game by introducing Taiwo Awoniyi for Nicolás Domínguez in the 87th and Dilane Bakwa for Callum Hudson-Odoi in stoppage time, while City swapped Cherki for Nathan Aké in the 89th to see out the win.

Nottingham Forest lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, focusing on a solid defensive base that allowed players like Elliot Anderson to anchor midfield while Omari Hutchinson provided attacking threat from the right, linking well with Igor Jesus in support of the forward line. Callum Hudson-Odoi offered width on the flank before making way late, and Nicolás Domínguez contributed in the engine room until his substitution.

Manchester City deployed a 4-3-2-1 formation, with Rúben Dias marshalling the defence and Josko Gvardiol pushing forward to assist in attack, while Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki operated as advanced midfielders to create chances, the latter proving decisive with his goal and assist before being replaced. Nico O’Reilly added energy in the middle, though his yellow card highlighted the intensity.

Rayan Cherki earned Ladbrokes’ Man of the Match award for his standout performance, netting one goal and providing one assist while creating a big chance and delivering three key passes that kept Manchester City’s attack flowing. His contributions were pivotal in both goals for the visitors, showcasing his vision and finishing in a dominant display.

Recent Premier League matches:

• Loss: 1-2 vs Manchester City (H)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Fulham (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Tottenham Hotspur (H)
• Loss: 0-3 vs Everton (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Recent Premier League matches:

• Win: 2-1 vs Nottingham Forest (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs West Ham United (H)
• Win: 3-0 vs Crystal Palace (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Sunderland (H)
• Win: 5-4 vs Fulham (A)

Nottingham Forest have just suffered a 1-2 home defeat to Manchester City, extending their poor run with three losses in the last five league games, leaving them 17th on 18 points and glancing nervously at the relegation zone. They face Everton next on 30 December 2025 at 19:30, with the opponents sitting 11th on 25 points, offering a chance to bounce back and build some momentum after recent wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers, but they’ll need to tighten up to avoid slipping further.

Manchester City secured a 2-1 victory away at Nottingham Forest, maintaining their impressive streak of five consecutive league wins that has them second on 40 points and firmly in the title race. Their next fixture is against Sunderland on 1 January 2026 at 20:00, with the visitors currently seventh on 27 points, presenting an opportunity to extend the run but requiring focus against a mid-table side capable of causing upsets.

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Odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.