Manchester City 3-0 Nottingham Forest Player Ratings as the Cityzens end winless drought with a resounding win at home

Coming off a brutal loss to Liverpool during the weekend, Manchester City will be keen to snap their seven-game streak without a win and attempt to re-enter an unlikely title race. All things considered, it is a scary sight to see one of the best teams in the world in such dire straits, and that is exactly what Nottingham Forest will be looking to take advantage of in their match tonight. 

As expected Man City pushed the pace since the start of the game, with Bernardo Silva tapping in Kevin De Bruyne’s shot-cross. The City captain would then nearly give away a goal to Forest before finding the net himself and restoring some form of calm. Whilst Nottingham Forest pushed the Cityzens on occasions, they just could not put away their chances with Chris Wood missing an absolute sitter at 1-0. 

All in all the game made for an exciting watch as City were once again quite close to their dominant selves. That said, Nottingham Forest did not go away quietly and had a good go at it, making things tense for the City defense at times but unfortunately to no end product. 

Manchester City Player Ratings vs Nottingham Forest

Goalkeeper

Stefan Ortega: 7/10- Made a couple of big saves and other than that was pretty much as good as can be. Significantly improved from his showing during the weekend.

Defenders

Joško Gvardiol: 6/10- Surprisingly one of City’s most prevalent attacking threats, often finding himself in great positions to score. Whilst he was unable to convert his chances, Gvardiol was suspect defensively at times. 

Nathan Aké: 6.5/10- Possibly the most solid defender in the City backline, comfortable on the ball and during defensive transitions. 

Ruben Dias: 6.5/10- Was mostly solid at the back but at times looked a little shaky, much like what has been the case for City’s defense in recent times. 

Manuel Akanji: 7/10- Was quite diligent in his duties and at times seemed like he did not need to be on the pitch or that City could do with a more attacking-minded player instead, which is what Pep chose to do at halftime. 

Midfielders

Kevin De Bruyne: 8/10- Absolutely superb on the night, setting up an assist and notching a goal himself before the break. Nearly put his side in jeopardy with a lazy back pass but more than made up for it. Almost added another in the second half. 

Ilkay Gundogan: 7/10- Had a pretty normal performance on the day, dictating the tempo from deep and keeping things moving. Was able to operate much more freely as he was pressured less often. 

Bernardo Silva: 7.5./10- Was deployed much wider yet still managed to find himself in a a good position to poke in the first goal for City. Seemed quite comfortable operating from the right and making things happen. 

Attackers

Jack Grealish: 7/10- Rather than playing on the wings as he usually does, Grealish was implemented in midfield, aiding Gundogan instead. Played his part well, making some vital tackles and linking play as per usual. 

Jérémy Doku: 7.5/10- Was once again at his blistering pace, taking people on and creating problems. Did get handily dealt with by Aina at times but did not let that stop him. Scored a beautiful goal in the second half.  

Erling Haaland: 7/10- Struggled to get to the end of big chances or manage to create something himself. Was instead better with his link-up play and nearly turned creator with a delightful through-ball for Gvardiol in the first half.

Substitutes

Kyle Walker: N/A

Rico Lewis: N/A

Savinho: N/A

Matheus Nunes: N/A

James McAtee: N/A

Manager

Pep Guardiola: 8/10- Made a few interesting tweaks to his side and how he usually sets them up. The team looked much more cohesive going forward and operated with a certain fluidity without compromising too much defensively. 

Also Read: Ipswich vs Crystal Palace Player Ratings as Crystal Palace take 3 points courtesy of a 1-0 win

Nottingham Forest Player Ratings vs Man City

Goalkeeper

Matz Sels: 6/10- Very good at times but then in other instances he was quite questionable. Needed to have more confidence and come to collect the ball more often to relieve pressure on his defence. 

Defenders

Álex Moreno: 6.5/10- One of the better among the Forest backline on the night. Ventured forward on quite a few occasions but couldn’t really influence the game with any of his crosses. 

Murillo: 6.5/10- Was solid in spells but much like the rest of the backline, lacked a certain awareness to root out danger or put a stop to developing attacks in time.

Nikola Milenković: 6/10- Rash and physical in his tackles. Was able to deal with attackers in front of him for the most part. Was easily outdone by Doku for City’s third goal though. 

Ola Aina: 6.5/10- Seemed pretty solid in his duels but could not aid his peers at times, either being caught out of position or simply ball-watching. He was much better on the ball than he was defensively.

Midfielders

Ryan Yates: 6/10- Was very handily dealt with and was looking for excuses to go down and halt City’s play. Did not offer much to his side on the day and was hence hooked quite early by the manager. 

Nicolás Domínguez: 6.5/10- Much more present in the midfield, yet a little too rash for his own good. Did get turned inside out on a few occasions though and that really put his side in trouble. 

Morgan Gibbs-White: 7/10- Possibly the best Forest player on the night and someone who really gave it a go. Ran at the City defense and even had a solid attempt at the goal in the first half.

Attackers

Jota Silva: 6.5/10- Fared much better on the right and got the better of Gvardiol in a key moment for his side. Could not deliver many more useful crosses though despite having plenty of chances. 

Anthony Elanga: 7/10- Really grew into the game as it went on. From being shy to run at defenders to seeking out a duel, Elanga became one of the focal players for his team. 

Chris Wood: 5.5/10- Very poor on the night, despite his prolific form in the league so far. Missed an absolute sitter which would have equalized things for his side and possibly led to a different outcome. Did not offer much in terms of holdup or link-up play either.

Substitutes

Morato: N/A

Taiwo Awoniyi: N/A

Elliot Anderson: N/A

Eric da Silva Moreira: N/A

Ramón Sosa: N/A

Manager

Nuno Espirito Santo: 6.5/10- Set up his side up well and was very nearly rewarded for it. Should have been more pragmatic with his changes on the night, and given himself a better chance to try and get something from the game.

Also Read: Leicester City 3-1 West Ham: Player Ratings as Ruud van Nistelrooy Begins Managerial Reign with a Victory

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