Manchester City ended a seven-game winless run with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium in a midweek Premier League fixture.
Early goals from Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne gave Pep Guardiola’s side a firm grip on the match by halftime, with Jeremy Doku sealing the win with a third goal just 12 minutes into the second half.
City’s struggles leading into this game were evident, with six defeats and a dramatic 3-3 draw against Feyenoord, where they squandered a 3-0 lead in the final 20 minutes. This time, however, City showed resilience and composure to see the match through, much to Guardiola’s relief.
Despite the win, it wasn’t a flawless performance. Misplaced passes and poor ball control occasionally disrupted their rhythm. Forest nearly capitalized on a rare mistake when Chris Wood broke clear after a sloppy De Bruyne back pass, only to roll his shot wide, missing a golden opportunity to equalize Silva’s 8th-minute opener.
City punished that miss moments later, with De Bruyne making amends by finishing a neat exchange with fellow Belgian Doku to double their lead. Doku later capped off the victory with a stunning strike from the edge of the box, securing City’s joint-biggest league win of the season. Guardiola’s animated celebration on the touchline reflected the sense of relief and satisfaction at finally putting an end to their difficult run.
