Manchester City missed out on a vital opportunity in the title race, allowing relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest to fight back twice for a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
After Morgan Gibbs-White equalized following Antoine Semenyo’s opening goal, a header from Rodri put City ahead again just after the hour mark. However, Elliot Anderson leveled the score once more.
The draw leaves City seven points behind Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, while Forest managed to stay out of the relegation zone, although only on goal difference.
City does have a game in hand against Arsenal, which they are set to play on April 19. However, manager Pep Guardiola will lament another match where his team lost grip after halftime, bringing their total points dropped from winning positions this season to 13.
“Maybe it sounds like a lot,” Guardiola remarked. “But there are matches where we don’t deserve it. Overall, we played well for 90 minutes… It’s not just about one incident. In general, our performance was solid.” He added, “We created many opportunities against a well-organized, defensive team. We were dynamic but could have connected better with Erling (Haaland). Despite that, I think we played well overall.”
Nottingham Forest and new manager Vitor Pereira are still searching for their first league win, but their performance here suggests they are fighting for survival. Ryan Yates nearly clinched a late winner with a close header in stoppage time, while Semenyo had a free-kick tipped over and Savinho‘s shot was blocked just before the line.
Although City appeared comfortable early on, they had to remain patient as they faced Forest’s solid defense. The breakthrough came when Rayan Cherki found Semenyo in the box, allowing him to volley the ball past goalkeeper Matz Sels for his fifth goal in eight Premier League matches since transferring from Bournemouth.
Before halftime, Forest’s only significant threats came from Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus, who both managed weak shots on target.
City went close to scoring again through Silva early in the second half, and although Cherki had an effort go over, they were stunned when Forest equalized in the 56th minute. A lapse in concentration allowed Ola Aina to get behind the defense and provide a cross, where Gibbs-White deflected a backheel past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City responded, regaining the lead with a well-executed corner from Phil Foden, resulting in Rodri finding the net with a powerful header.
Despite protests from Forest players claiming a foul on goalkeeper Sels, the goal stood, meaning they had to fight back yet again. Anderson did just that 14 minutes from the end, linking up with Callum Hudson-Odoi and producing an exquisite curling shot into the bottom corner from outside the box.
The tension continued, with Yates coming close to scoring, only for a free-kick from Semenyo to be saved and Savinho’s attempts thwarted in a frantic ending. Now, the title race has swung firmly in Arsenal’s favor following their recent 1-0 win at Brighton, with City now shifting focus to this weekend’s FA Cup matches.
“We need to think of one less opponent,” Guardiola commented on the title race. “Next is Newcastle; our thoughts are on what’s to come.”
Information from PA contributed to this summary.