Liam Delap scored twice against his former club as Nottingham Forest stunned Manchester City with a 3-1 victory at the City Ground, dealing another major blow to the visitors’ Premier League title aspirations. Jair Cunha opened the scoring early before Delap struck twice to seal a memorable win for Oliver Glasner’s team, with Rayan Cherki scoring the lone goal for Enzo Maresca’s side.
Forest Capitalize on Defensive Errors
Forest started the match aggressively, putting pressure on the City defense from the opening whistle. The home side broke the deadlock after just six minutes when Cunha dispossessed Josko Gvardiol high up the pitch, drove forward, and fired past Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite City’s appeals for a foul in the build-up, referee Samuel Barrott allowed the goal to stand.
City tried to respond as Jeremy Doku found space in the penalty area, but Nikola Milenkovic blocked his effort. Forest maintained their aggressive press, disrupting City’s attempts to play out from the back. Daniel Munoz created another chance by advancing through midfield to set up James McAtee, whose shot went straight at Donnarumma.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 18th minute following another mistake by the visitors. A mix-up involving Iliman Ndiaye and Elliot Anderson allowed Xaver Schlager to win back possession, breaking the ball kindly for Delap. The striker raced clear and finished past Donnarumma to put Forest in a commanding position.
Delap Secures the Points
City started the second half with more urgency and narrowed the deficit in the 52nd minute. Cherki met a ball on the edge of the penalty area and hit a first-time shot past goalkeeper Matz Sels. Erling Haaland subsequently missed an opportunity to equalize, keeping the hosts ahead.
Morgan Gibbs-White played a key role for Forest, providing an attacking outlet and launching dangerous counter-attacks. The pressure paid off in the 73rd minute when Gibbs-White initiated a break, allowing Delap to collect the ball and drive toward the defense. The striker unleashed a fierce shot into the top corner, beating Donnarumma and restoring a two-goal cushion.
Forest’s defense stood firm against late pressure from City in the closing stages, denying the visitors space to mount a comeback. Next up, Nottingham Forest will travel to face Bournemouth in the Premier League on November 21, 2026, while Manchester City will host Fulham on the same day.
