EPL: Manchester City 3-0 Nottingham Forest - Match Report

Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku lead the team to a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, ending their winless streak. Catch the highlights.

Manchester City finally broke their seven-game winless streak, defeating Nottingham Forest to put their recent struggles behind them. The hosts took control of the match in the first half, thanks to goals from Bernardo Silva and Kevin de Bruyne. Silva opened the scoring in the eighth minute, and De Bruyne doubled the lead with a precise finish.

Manchester City's victory was a welcome relief after a dismal run of six defeats and a 3-3 draw with Feyenoord. The latter result felt like a loss, given that City had been 3-0 up with 20 minutes remaining. The delight on the faces of the Manchester City players and staff was palpable as they celebrated their hard-fought win.

Although Manchester City's performance was not flawless, they managed to secure a crucial three points. The hosts were guilty of miscontrols and stray passes, which could have proved costly. Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood had a golden opportunity to level the score after Kevin de Bruyne's wayward pass, but he rolled his shot wide, much to the relief of the Manchester City faithful.

Kevin de Bruyne proved to be the difference-maker, scoring Manchester City's second goal and providing a moment of brilliance to settle the hosts' nerves. After Chris Wood's missed opportunity, De Bruyne struck at the other end, collecting a short pass from Jeremy Doku and applying a perfect finish. This goal gave Manchester City a two-goal cushion, which they never relinquished.

The win was sealed when Jeremy Doku found the corner with an excellent strike from the edge of the area, securing Manchester City's joint-biggest margin of victory in the league this season. As the final whistle blew, Pep Guardiola's celebration was one of pure relief, marking a much-needed victory in what has been a tumultuous season for Manchester City.

As the match drew to a close, Pep Guardiola stood on the sidelines, his arms tightly crossed, anxiously awaiting the final whistle from referee Michael Oliver. The tension was palpable, a testament to the immense pressure Guardiola puts on himself, even in the best of times. In recent weeks, this pressure has been even more evident.

When the final whistle eventually blew, Guardiola's reaction was subdued. Unlike his gesture at Anfield the previous weekend, where he held up six fingers to remind everyone of his six title wins at Manchester City, this time he opted for a more understated approach. He calmly shook hands with Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo and the Forest backroom staff before swiftly heading down the tunnel, lost in thought.

Earlier in the match, Pep Guardiola's emotions were on full display. He was his usual animated self, urging his team on, calling Jeremy Doku over for a tactical discussion, and burying his head in his hands in frustration at two missed opportunities by Josko Gvardiol. The tension was still palpable, with the outcome of the match hanging precariously in the balance.

After Manchester City's second goal, Guardiola turned to the City fans behind him and made a gesture, urging them to raise their voices in support. This came after he had used his programme notes to call for a collective effort from the team to overcome their recent struggles. The crowd did respond, increasing the volume for a while, before the match settled into a familiar pattern, with City easing to victory and only missing an additional goal to seal their biggest Premier League win of the campaign.

While Guardiola is aware that this win is just the first step in repairing the damage of the past month, he will undoubtedly take encouragement from the result. The challenge now is to build on this momentum and use it as a springboard for future success. At least, as Guardiola acknowledged, they have made a start.