Article body analysed
By TOM COLLOMOSSE Published: 01: 24 AEDT, 9 March 2025 | Updated: 05: 59 AEDT, 9 March 2025 94 View comments After a painful lunchtime in Nottingham, perhaps Pep Guardiola might have fancied following Jack Grealish’s lead by heading up the M1 for an evening at North Biddick Social Club. The Manchester City manager has already said it will ‘not be the end of the world’ if City do not qualify for the Champions League next season. Yet to reach Europe’s main club competition would turn Forest’s world upside down in the most wonderful way. Callum Hudson Odoi’s late strike took third-placed Forest four points clear of City and the celebrations that followed the final whistle have not been seen here since May 2023. That was when Forest beat Arsenal to secure Premier League survival with a game to spare. Instead of avoiding meetings with Swansea and Plymouth, Forest are now thinking about crossing swords with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. What a time to enjoy for the heroes of 1979 and 1980, when Forest won back-to-back European Cups. A week after his night out in the north-east, Grealish did not leave the bench here but had he done so, it would have made little difference. Guardiola was a study in agitation on the touchline, sinking to his knees when Morgan Gibbs-White delivered what would prove the match-winning pass to Hudson-Odoi. Try as he might, Guardiola simply cannot rediscover the magic that led his team to the Treble and City have taken only one point from a possible 24 against teams who started the weekend in the top four. Nottingham Forest beat Manchester City to boost their Champions League hopes Callum Hudson-Odoi smashed the late winner inside Ederson's near post to spark wild scenes Champions City were dealt their latest blow in their bid to finish in the top four this season ‘We have to win a lot of games to qualify for the Champions League, ’ said Guardiola. ‘To find a way we have play better. It doesn’t come from the sky. ’ Instead it is Nuno Espirito Santo, a coach written off by many after his disastrous spell at Tottenham in 2021, who is making a persuasive case to be named manager of the year. Nuno got everything right here. His full-backs, Ola Aina and Neco Williams, shut down Savinho and Jeremy Doku so effectively that Guardiola switched his wide men for the second half. They had no more success after the break, either, and Savinho was hooked with 20 minutes left. Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic took care of Erling Haaland and the midfield axis of Nicolas Dominguez and Elliot Anderson did the same with Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva. Just as they had in the goalless draw with Arsenal last month, Forest contained City for more than an hour and then, realising they had nothing to fear, dared to dream. With seven minutes left Aina won a tackle with substitute Omar Marmoush just inside the Forest half. Soon Gibbs-White had hammered the ball 50 yards left to right, on to the toes of Hudson-Odoi. Hudson-Odoi glided into the box and, with Josko Gvardiol reluctant to challenge, beat Ederson at his near post. Perhaps the Brazilian’s view had been obscured by his team-mate but it was still a save he ought to have made. Who cares about 31 per cent possession when Forest use it so efficiently? Earlier, Ederson looked to have rescued a point for City when he turned Hudson-Odoi’s shot on to the post. The way Hudson-Odoi made light work of City’s defenders then was a clear warning they would later fail to heed. ‘We have shown a big improvement from last season but now is about enjoying the moment, ’ said Nuno. ‘We keep going on this journey. City struggled to create and were undone by Morgan Gibbs-White's superb crossfield pass Gibbs-White forced a superb stop from Ederson as Forest carved out the better chances Nico Gonzalez pulled the trigger from outside the box but couldn't hit the back of the net Kevin De Bruyne's effort from close range forced a brave block from Murillo Mats Selz collected an aerial ball despite Erling Haaland's leap into the air Forest moved four points clear of City with their Champions League dream creeping closer Guardiola insisted City missing out on the top four would 'not be the end of the world' Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Sels 6. 5, Aina 8, Milenkovic 7, Murillo 7. 5, Williams 7. 5; Dominguez 7 (Yates 69, 6), Anderson 7; Elanga 5 (Sangare 80), Gibbs-White 6. 5, Hudson-Odoi 7; Wood 6. 5 Scorers: Hudson-Odoi 83 Booked: Gibbs-White, Yates Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo 7 Manchester City (4-1-4-1): Ederson 5; Nunes 5. 5 (Lewis 61, 6), Khusanov 7, Dias 6, Gvardiol 5. 5; Gonzalez 6 (Kovacic 61, 6); Savinho 6 (Marmoush 69, 6), Foden 6 (De Bruyne 69, 6), B Silva 5, Doku 5. 5; Haaland 5 Booked: Gonzalez, Nunes Manager: Pep Guardiola 6 Referee: Chris Kavanagh 6 ‘The fans are everything. The City Ground has been beautiful for us. There is a bond, a trust. They are behind us and Callum's goal is part of them also. We are proud and happy. ’ Even with Foden restored to the starting XI, City controlled the ball without controlling the game. They created little in the first half as Forest – as has been their habit all season – sat deep and kept their opponents at arm’s length. There was applause and chanting for Stuart Pearce, who was receiving hospital treatment on Saturday after being taken ill on a transatlantic flight. Forest fans recognised their former skipper in the third minute – the shirt number he wore during his time at the City Ground. For an hour, neither side could build pressure and Guardiola could not settle. He threw up his arms in despair when Dominguez threaded a pass through midfield and sent Gibbs-White scurrying towards goal. Then Forest came within a whisker of moving ahead. Neither Abdukodir Khusanov nor substitute Rico Lewis could stop Hudson-Odoi cutting on to his right foot and the ball seemed to be destined for the bottom corner when Ederson stuck out his left hand and made just enough contactto ensure the ball hir the post rather than the net. After a very quiet game, Forest ‘keeper Matz Sels saved Kevin De Bruyne free-kick and it was not long before Hudson-Odoi found the breakthrough. Gibbs-White was relieved in the first minute of stoppage time when his attempted clearance fell straight to Mateo Kovacic and the sub’s volley flew a whisker wide. By the end, fireworks were going off outside the ground and Gibbs-White and his team-mates were dancing like it was 1979. Just imagine what it will be like if they qualify.
Share what you think
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mail Online.
By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on Mail Online. To do this we will link your Mail Online account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy. Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group