It was a night to forget for Nottingham Forest as Manchester City capitalised on missed opportunities to secure a comfortable victory at the Etihad.
Kevin De Bruyne, starting for the first time since September, proved the difference, scoring once and assisting another within the opening 32 minutes.
Despite the 2-0 defeat, De Bruyne had words of praise for Forest, commending their approach.
However, for large spells, it was one-way traffic as City dominated possession and dictated the game.
Forest, to their credit, won’t define their season by results against the Premier League champions. The focus now must shift to their upcoming fixtures.
Gael Clichy, speaking before the match, backed Nuno Espirito Santo as a “good manager,” and even after the defeat, that assessment remains unchanged. Forest’s failings on the night lay more with execution than tactics.
Stuart Pearce criticises Forest’s missed chances
Stuart Pearce highlighted Chris Wood’s missed opportunity as a turning point. With City leading 1-0, Wood had the chance to equalise but fluffed his lines, trying to be too precise. Moments later, De Bruyne punished Forest, firing home City’s second.
Speaking on Amazon Prime, Pearce said:
“They offered City too much respect early on, they sat off and allowed City to get into good positions, mainly De Bruyne, and they didn’t take their chances either.
“When you miss a gilt-edged chance, it’s a bad miss, that is. It was a massive let-off for City and they created the problems themselves. He’s got to make the keeper work at worst.”
Wood remains Forest’s main man
Despite the miss, Wood remains pivotal for Forest. While his strength lies in instinctive finishes, as seen in his goals at Newcastle last season, this one miss doesn’t define his ability. With nine goals to his name this term, the 32-year-old has proven his worth.
Forest must continue to back their striker and provide him with chances. The City game may sting, but there’s no time to dwell as they prepare for the battles that truly matter in their campaign.
