NafisaDe Bruyne made his first start for Manchester City since September, and his presence only compounded Nottingham Forest’s difficulties in a challenging encounter at the Etihad Stadium.City cruised to a 3-0 victory, with goals from Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, and Jeremy Doku, asserting their dominance against a Forest side that had shown glimpses of improvement in recent matches. For Forest, this was a sobering reminder of the gulf in class between themselves and the reigning Premier League champions.Despite the result, De Bruyne offered an intriguing insight into Forest’s approach to the game. Speaking to Amazon Prime, he revealed:“We didn’t expect Nottingham to go man for man. They were going with Nathan Ake, so it meant that we had to get Ruben to carry the ball into midfield a little bit. It surprised us though; we struggled for a period in the first half after our good start.”Perspective for ForestFor Nottingham Forest, there’s no reason to hit the panic button just yet.
This performance was a marked improvement on their previous outings at the Etihad, even if the scoreline suggests otherwise. Such matches require patience, and Forest remain on the right track under Nuno Espírito Santo’s guidance.There were moments of frustration for the visitors, particularly in the first half. Chris Wood squandered a golden opportunity to put Forest on the scoresheet, a miss he’ll likely want to forget. However, given his contributions in recent weeks, Wood retains some credit among supporters.The Forest manager will undoubtedly be looking for positives as his team prepares for another tough test in Manchester, this time against United. Maintaining composure and building on their promising moments will be crucial as the Reds seek to turn performances into points.
Fan Frustration with YatesOne of the night’s more contentious moments involved Forest captain Ryan Yates, who found himself in the firing line of fans’ criticism. The second goal, scored by Doku, saw Yates brushed off too easily before he theatrically went to ground, clutching his face in an apparent attempt to win a foul. Unsurprisingly, this drew the ire of Forest supporters, who were left fuming at what they perceived to be poor decision-making and a lack of composure from their skipper.While the result at the Etihad was a blow, Forest’s season is far from derailed. The focus now shifts to steadying the ship and ensuring they are ready for the challenges ahead.
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