Pep Guardiola expressed his frustration with Manchester City’s slow pace in their loss to Nottingham Forest. Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late goal secured the win for Forest, as he beat City goalkeeper Ederson at the near post. The strike gave Forest a four-point advantage over City in the Premier League, with Guardiola’s team at risk of falling out of the top four this weekend.
City had created the better chances in the first half, but Forest became more dangerous after the break. Despite having just 31% possession, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side managed more shots on target. Guardiola was critical of his team’s slow play and inability to break down Forest’s well-organized defense. Erling Haaland found it difficult to get opportunities, and City only managed to hit the target three times out of 14 shots.
“Yes, it was slow,” Guardiola admitted after the match. “We struggled to break the lines and find spaces.” While Guardiola was pleased with how his team contained Chris Wood and limited long balls, he acknowledged that Forest were clinical when they got a chance. “It was a tight game; we controlled the long balls to [Chris] Wood and second balls in transition,” he said. “But in the second half, we lost once in transition, and Callum Hudson-Odoi finished it really well.”
Guardiola also praised Forest’s organization, saying, “It’s not easy to play against them. That’s why they are where they are.” He noted that City had a few chances in the first half, but in the second half, the game became more evenly balanced, with Forest’s clinical finish ultimately deciding the outcome.
Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo was pleased with his team’s resilience in taking advantage of their chance. “It was a tough game, everyone saw how good Manchester City are,” he said. “They had us on the ropes, but the boys worked very hard. Of course, they were going to have chances, but it was about us taking ours.”
Santo highlighted the efforts of Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood in helping the team block City’s attacks and then break quickly through the middle. Looking ahead, he said, “The focus doesn’t change. We are on to the next one, Ipswich. Beating City shows the progress of the squad, but there’s still so much football to be played. Let’s focus on the journey and move on to the next one.”
