Manchester City twice conceded the lead in a heartbreaking 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, dropping a further two points as they trail Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Josep Guardiola’s side’s next league appearance at the Etihad will be against the Gunners in mid-April, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Perhaps things will change again by then, but for now, Arsenal’s win over Brighton on Wednesday has widened the gap at the top of the table to seven points.
On a night when City lacked balance and finesse from Nico O’Reilly in midfield, Antoine Semenyo and Rodri scored on either side of the first half, during which Morgan Gibbs-White scored a stunning impromptu backflick goal.
Bernardo Silva expresses frustration as Man City draw with Nottingham Forest
Forest was full of spirit and fight, and while producing less than his host, he proved just as clinical when it mattered. Elliot
Anderson played a deft one-two with Callum Hudson-Odoi through the midfield in the second half, just after Erling Haaland’s legitimate penalty appeal was rejected, and his legs connected for a superb finish. The city was stunned.
The home team had a chance to win in stoppage time. Rodri carelessly missed the target from Sabinho’s cut-back, and Semenho sent a free-kick over the bar, resulting in a desperate decider.
And with the final kick of the game, Sabinho’s shot on goal was heroically deflected off the goal line by Murillo.
If everything happens in May, how costly will this outcome be?
This advantage and advantage will be huge for Arsenal.
Man City missed a late chance to beat Nottingham Forest
Bernardo: The 50-50 decision was all against us.
Man City midfielder Bernardo Silva on TNT Sports:
“We’ve gotten pretty used to this this season. We’ve had all the 50-50 teams against us. Just looking at the Erling incident, that’s the reality. To me, this is a penalty.”
“Some may argue otherwise: What can Erling do?
“We’re used to this season. We know how it works. Our job is only to get better, because these things are out of our control. What we can control is our own performance and that’s what we need to focus on.”
Pep insists there are ‘many games to play’ ahead of title fight
Man City manager Josep Guardiola:
“There are still a lot of games left, but for them (Arsenal) it’s just one more game and now it’s Newcastle. You’re always thinking about what’s next. Overall, it was a good performance, with a lot of positives, and of course there are things to improve on.”
“We’re playing for something, and everyone’s playing for a lot of things.”
Asked about City losing 13 points, Guardiola said: “Maybe that’s a lot. Maybe there are games where we didn’t deserve it.”
“We played well overall today. We were able to stop transitions, but we created a lot against a very defensive team. We were dynamic and we missed some contact with Erling. We need to look for him more, but apart from that.”
Regarding Haaland’s penalty claim, Guardiola said: “We talked about it a few weeks ago. We have to do better. It’s our responsibility to do better and we can’t rely on the authorities. That’s not possible. I have nothing more to say. I’ve said it in the past.”
Pereira happy with Forest’s versatility
Nottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira:
“It’s a tough game, but the team is full of character. It’s not easy given the quality, organization and one less day to recover. It’s five games in 15 days with some travel, but it’s not easy to perform at this level. I’m happy for the players.”
“We had two great goals. That’s why the supporters are chasing us. In the last minutes we play here they push us and do everything they can to get something.”
On staying out of the relegation zone: “It’s important to come here and prove that we can get points anywhere. It doesn’t matter whether it’s City or another club, it’s about us, how we deal with opponents and believe in ourselves.”
“I only trained with the team twice, because the other sessions were for recovery. In a short period of time, we learned to play in a (different) system. When you play against opponents of this level, it’s important to stay compact and wait for the moment when something goes wrong.”
