The Nottingham Forest Vs Man City standings picture shifted on December 27, 2025, when Rayan Cherki’s 83rd-minute winner gave Manchester City a 2-1 victory at the City Ground, moving Pep Guardiola’s side to 40 points and second place in the Premier League, six behind leaders Arsenal.
Tijjani Reijnders had put City ahead in the 48th minute before Omari Hutchinson levelled for Forest in the 54th, only for Cherki to settle the contest with a clinical finish that ended his Premier League scoring drought and handed the visitors three crucial points in their title pursuit.
The result left Nottingham Forest on 18 points from 32 games, sitting 16th in the league and just one point above the relegation zone.
Nottingham Forest Vs Man City Standings: Match Timeline
| Minute | Event | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| KO | Kick-off | — | — |
| 36′ | Substitution | Nicolás Domínguez off / Taiwo Awoniyi on | Nottm Forest |
| 43′ | Substitution | Callum Hudson-Odoi off / Dilane Bakwa on | Nottm Forest |
| HT | Half-time | 0-0 | — |
| 48′ | GOAL | Tijjani Reijnders | Man City |
| 54′ | GOAL | Omari Hutchinson | Nottm Forest |
| 59′ | Event | — | — |
| 73′ | Event | — | — |
| 83′ | GOAL | Rayan Cherki | Man City |
| 87′ | Event | — | — |
| 89′ | Event | — | — |
| 90+2′ | Event | — | — |
| 90+5′ | Offside | Erling Haaland | Man City |
| FT | Full-time | Forest 1-2 Man City | — |
Match Statistics
| Stat | Nottm Forest | Man City |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 34% | 66% |
| Shots on Target | 2 | 5 |
| Total Shots | 7 | 16 |
| Corner Kicks | 5 | 5 |
| Yellow Cards | 1 | 2 |
| Saves | 3 | 1 |
| Venue | The City Ground, Nottingham | — |
| Attendance | 30,778 | — |
| Referee | Robert Jones | — |
| Formation | 4-2-3-1 | 4-3-2-1 |
Starting Lineups
| Position | Nottm Forest | Man City |
|---|---|---|
| GK | John Victor | — |
| DEF | Murillo, Milenkovic, Neco Williams, Nicolò Savona | — |
| MID | Elliot Anderson, Gibbs-White, Domínguez | Tijjani Reijnders |
| ATT | Hudson-Odoi, Omari Hutchinson, Igor Jesus | Rayan Cherki |
Nottingham Forest Vs Man City Standings: Premier League Table At Time Of Match
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 32 | 21 | 7 | 4 | +38 | 70 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 31 | 13 | 1 | 4 | +35 | 40 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 31 | 15 | 10 | 6 | +13 | 55 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 32 | 16 | 7 | 9 | +5 | 55 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 32 | 15 | 7 | 10 | +10 | 52 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 32 | 13 | 9 | 10 | +12 | 48 |
| 7 | Brentford | 32 | 13 | 8 | 11 | +4 | 47 |
| 8 | Everton | 32 | 13 | 8 | 11 | +2 | 47 |
| 9 | Brighton | 32 | 12 | 10 | 10 | +6 | 46 |
| 10 | Sunderland | 32 | 12 | 10 | 10 | -3 | 46 |
| 11 | AFC Bournemouth | 32 | 10 | 15 | 7 | -1 | 45 |
| 12 | Fulham | 32 | 13 | 5 | 14 | -3 | 44 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 31 | 11 | 9 | 11 | -1 | 42 |
| 14 | Newcastle United | 32 | 12 | 6 | 14 | -2 | 42 |
| 15 | Leeds United | 31 | 7 | 12 | 12 | -11 | 33 |
| 16 | Nottingham Forest | 32 | 8 | 9 | 15 | -12 | 33 |
| 17 | West Ham United | 32 | 8 | 8 | 16 | -17 | 32 |
| 18 | Tottenham Hotspur | 32 | 7 | 9 | 16 | -11 | 30 |
| 19 | Burnley | 32 | 4 | 8 | 20 | -30 | 20 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton | 32 | 3 | 8 | 21 | -34 | 17 |
Head-To-Head Context
Manchester City’s triumph at the City Ground extended their dominance over Forest in the Premier League era, with City losing only once in their last five league meetings against the Midlands club.
Forest’s compact 4-2-3-1 shape gave City issues in the first half, with Guardiola’s possession-heavy 4-3-2-1 system struggling to create clear openings against a disciplined low block despite commanding 66% of the ball.
The introduction of Awoniyi for Domínguez in the 36th minute suggested Forest were intent on adding physicality in the final third, yet it was City who found the breakthrough first through the incisive midfield running of Reijnders early in the second period.
Hutchinson’s equaliser appeared to have earned a hard-fought point for Nuno Espírito Santo’s side, but Cherki’s timely contribution — his first Premier League goal since joining — proved decisive in a contest that carried significant implications at both ends of the table.
City’s 66% possession advantage and 16 total shots underlined their territorial dominance throughout, despite the scoreline remaining closer than the underlying numbers suggested for the majority of the 90 minutes.
