After a painful lunch in Nottingham, maybe Pep Guardiola could have believed after Jack Grenish’s advance by directing the M1 for a few pints at the North Biddick Social Club.
Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late strike prevented Nottingham Forest in four points from Manchester City in the Champions League football race next season.
Guardiola has already said that it would not be the end of the world “if the city was missing the main competition of European clubs next season, and they will have to shoot their socks to make sure they don’t do so.
A week after his evening in the northeast, Grenish did not leave the bench here while City was desperately struggling to find their pace. They now took only one point on a possible 24 against the teams that started the day in the first four and remain a weak version of the team that won over Europe two years ago.
Even with Phil Foden restored in the departure XI, City checked the ball without controlling the game. They created little in the first half as a forest – just like their habit all season – was deep and kept their opponents at the length of the arm.
There were applause and songs for Stuart Pearce, who received treatment at the hospital on Saturday after being taken sick on a transatlantic flight. Fans of Forest recognized their old skipper in the third minute – the shirt number he wore during his stay at City Ground.
Nottingham Forest defeated Manchester City to increase his hopes of the Champions League
Callum Hudson-Odoi broke the deceased winner inside the post near Ederson to trigger wild scenes
Champions City had their last blow in their attempt to finish in the top four this season
One of the lower intrigue here was the duel between Chris Wood and Erling Haaland, two of the best attackers in the Premier League this season.
Wood almost put Haaland in the eighth minute when he stumbled on the ball, presenting in the Norwegian a score opportunity that he simply did not accept.
A few moments later, Haaland moved threatening to the Croix de Savinho on the right, forcing Ola Aina to go towards clarity under her own transverse bar. Then it was Nico Gonzalez’s turn to get closer with an increase in the 25 -meter road.
Elliot Anderson produced an impressive block to deny Foden after the city’s playmaker combined with Josko Gvardiol, but there was painfully little goal.
Shortly before half-time, Callum Hudson-Odoi found Morgan Gibbs-White on the edge of the box, only so that the forest skipper will not thunder the ball directly on the head of its teammate and for a goal kick.
Forest tried to go ahead at the start of the second half and Nicolas Dominguez connected well with the Cross of Anthony Elaga, but found that Ederson was parked on his near post. Then Gibbs-White met the corner of Elaga but could not direct his head on the target.
While City was preparing to send to Kevin de Bruyne and Omar Marmoush, Pep Guardiola threw his arms with despair when Dominguez put on a pass through the midfield and sent Gibbs-White to rush towards the goal.
Abdukodir Khusanov made a good block to prevent the strike from reaching Ederson and on the other side, Nikola Milenkovic also defended himself against Savinho.
City had trouble creating and was canceled by the superb crossfield collar by Morgan Gibbs-White
Gibbs-White forced a superb stop from Ederson while the forest has cut the best chances
Nico Gonzalez pulled the relaxation from the outside of the box but could not hit the back of the net
The efforts of Kevin de Bruyne at close range forced a courageous block of Murillo
Mats Selz collected an air ball despite the jump of Erling Haaland in the air
Forest has moved four points from the city with its dream of Champions League approaching
Guardiola insisted that City missing the first four would not be the end of the world ‘
Then Forest came to a mustache to move forward. Neither Khusanov nor the substitute Rico Lewis could not prevent Hudson-Oodoi from cutting on his right foot and the ball seemed to be intended for the lower corner when Ederson removed his left hand and turned it to the post.
None of the two parties could build sustained pressure. After a rare moment of uncertainty in the back line of the forest, from Bruyne tightened a first blow through the crowd and just above the bar. After a very quiet match, the Forest Matz Sels goalkeeper was still alert enough to avoid overthrowing a free kick from Bruyne while the city’s players closed.
Guardiola had been agitated the whole match and maybe he knew what was going to happen when Gibbs-White picked up the ball in space near the line halfway. When the ball left his boot, Guardiola fell on his knees while watching her float on the toes of Hudson-Oimoi, 50 meters away on the right wing.
Hudson-Odoi slipped into the box and, with Gvardiol reluctant to challenge, beat Ederson at his nearby post. Maybe the Brazilian’s point of view had been obscured by his teammate, but it was always a stop he should have made.
Gibbs-White was relieved at the first minute of the downtime when his attempted clearance fell directly to Mateo Kovacic and the volley of the sub-Sous-A piloted a wide mustache.
