Delap scores twice as Forest beat City with 22 per cent of the ball

Samuel Barrott refereed a 17:30 kick-off in front of 30,762 at The City Ground. Oliver Glasner picked a three-four-two-one for Nottingham Forest: Sels in goal; Jair Cunha, Milenković and Murillo across the back; Muñoz, Schlager, Yates and N. Williams in midfield; McAtee and Gibbs-White behind Delap. Yates wore the armband. Enzo Maresca's Manchester City set up four-two-three-one, with Donnarumma behind Khusanov, Rúben Dias, Guéhi and Gvardiol, E. Fernández and E. Anderson in front of them, and Ndiaye, Cherki and Doku behind Haaland. Rúben Dias captained City.

Jair Cunha scored in the sixth minute. In the 18th Schlager provided the assist and Delap made it 2-0, which is how the half ended. Maresca made two changes at the break, Matheus Nunes for Guéhi and O'Reilly for Gvardiol, and Cherki scored for City in the 52nd.

McAtee was booked in the 64th minute and Glasner replaced him with Ndoye in the 65th, sending on Netz for Muñoz in the same minute. Ndoye was booked in the 69th. In the 73rd Gibbs-White provided the assist for Delap's second goal and Forest led 3-1. Foden came on for E. Fernández in the 78th, Sangaré replaced Yates in the 79th and Igor Jesus replaced Delap in the 87th. Netz and Igor Jesus were booked in stoppage time, at 90+4 and 90+5.

Manchester City kept the ball the way a guest keeps hold of the television remote: all evening, with little to show for it. They had 78 per cent of possession, 753 passes to 206 at 88.3 per cent accuracy against 67.0, and 33 touches in the opposition box to 14. They won seven corners to three and 52 duels to 42. Forest took 11 shots to City's 12, put five on target to four and scored three. Their defensive figures were the busier ones: 32 clearances to 18 and 20 tackles to 13. They covered 121.0km to City's 114.6km.

Expected goals were 1.59 for City and 1.00 for Forest. Forest's three goals outran their 1.00 and City's one fell short of their 1.59; Forest made more of five shots on target than City made of 78 per cent of the ball. Before this game Forest's form guide listed no win among its five entries: defeats by Brentford (our report), Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Coventry City and a draw with Ipswich Town (report). Manchester City's guide listed wins over RB Leipzig and AEK Athens, a defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League (report), a 2-2 with them in the League Cup (report) and a defeat by Aston Villa (report). On this evidence possession is a house you can own without ever being at home in it.

Three meetings are listed here: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester City in the FA Cup on 27 April 2025, Nottingham Forest 1-2 Manchester City in the Premier League on 27 December 2025 and Manchester City 2-2 Nottingham Forest on 4 March 2026. That is two City wins and a draw, and no Forest win among the listed meetings.

In the Premier League table as it stood at 19:25 on 7 November, with this match included, Manchester City were second on 21 points from 10 games, behind Arsenal on 27 from 10. Nottingham Forest were 16th on nine points from 10, level with Coventry City in 17th, who had also played 10.