Delap double sinks City as Forest inflict third straight Premier League defeat
Liam Delap scored twice against his former club as Nottingham Forest beat Manchester City, whose defensive struggles continued in a third consecutive Premier League loss.
Liam Delap struck twice against his former club to help Nottingham Forest beat Manchester City, handing the visitors a third straight Premier League defeat. The ex-City striker's two thunderous finishes brought the City Ground alive and capped a player-ratings display in which he was given a 9, the highest mark of the match.
Forest took the lead in the sixth minute when centre-back Jair Cunha, finding himself in attack, pounced and coolly rolled in the opener. Cunha also made a brilliant goalline clearance at the other end and was rated 8. Defenders Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo were credited with standing firm to help contain Erling Haaland, while Daniel Munoz was praised for keeping Jeremy Doku quiet.
City's problems were concentrated at the back. Marc Guehi was part of a defence described as all over the place in the first half and was withdrawn at half-time, while Josko Gvardiol was said to have been soft on the ball before Cunha dispossessed him for the opener and was also substituted. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ruben Dias and Abdukodir Khusanov were each rated 4.
Rayan Cherki pulled a goal back for City with a stunning finish in the second half, though the ratings noted that Ryan Yates' poor clearance allowed him to score. Enzo Fernandez was judged to have had a disappointing game after sending a close-range header over, and Elliot Anderson was described as losing the midfield battle on an unhappy return to the City Ground.
The ratings also highlighted Delap's effectiveness, noting that substitute Matheus Nunes failed to put a foot in on him for Forest's third goal. Forest's James McAtee, facing his former club, had a very good game but saw a weak shot saved and another effort blazed over. The match ratings are one observer's assessments, while supporters were invited to submit their own scores.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
