Manchester City suffered a third consecutive Premier League defeat after losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday, November 7, with former academy striker Liam Delap scoring twice.
Jair Cunha opened the scoring for Forest in the sixth minute before Delap doubled their lead 12 minutes later with a powerful finish after breaking through City’s defence.
City struggled to cope with Forest’s intensity and direct attacking approach but had a chance to pull one back before half-time. Erling Haaland rounded goalkeeper Matz Sels in the 41st minute, but Cunha cleared his effort off the goal line.
Enzo Maresca made two changes at the break, bringing on Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly for Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol.
The changes improved City’s performance, and they reduced the deficit in the 52nd minute when Rayan Cherki beat Sels with a superb half-volley.
City pushed for an equaliser but remained vulnerable on the counter. Ryan Yates came close to restoring Forest’s two-goal advantage in the 67th minute, but his deflected effort struck the crossbar.
Delap settled the contest in the 73rd minute, finishing off a counterattack involving Morgan Gibbs-White with a superb angled strike into the far corner.
The brace was particularly significant for Delap, who came through Manchester City’s academy before leaving in search of regular first-team football.
The victory lifts Forest out of the relegation zone and gives them their first home league win of the campaign, while City are left to contend with another damaging setback.
The defeat marks a sharp turnaround for Maresca’s side, who began the campaign with seven consecutive league victories. However, losses to Aston Villa, Brighton and Forest have left City with three straight defeats.
They have become only the second team in English top-flight history to win their opening seven matches of a season before losing the next three, following Sheffield Wednesday in 1904-05.
City remain on 21 points after 10 matches, six behind leaders Arsenal, who beat Hull City 1-0 earlier on Saturday. The latest defeat also exposed City’s defensive weaknesses, particularly against opponents who press aggressively and attack with pace.
