(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Nottingham Forest - Man City

The Blues know that by winning their remaining five matches, they will be crowned champions again, but with almost every team they face focusing on their own ambitions, there is no such thing as a gimmick. Today's game is a case in point with opponents Nottingham Forest fighting for the points to keep them in the division, and sure to be hugely motivated to contest every challenge with intensity. So there's a four point gap for City to make up at the top of the table following Arsenal's win in the North London derby earlier. I don't think the City players would have expected anything different. Arsenal are certainly going to try and win every single game and put as much pressure as they can on the Blues. The Blues, it would seem, can ill afford any slip-ups, and already Forest are coming forward. There's an attack which might end in a chance, but Nico Williams missed the ball, and already there's a determination about Forest and an intensity about the crowd noise. Hugging the right touchline, Aina comes across to him, Brocu plays it inside to Alvarez, Alvarez back to De Bruyne, De Bruyne into the gap for Bernardo Silva, Bernardo Silva's tackled on the edge of the area, and then Rodri wins it back, and Grealish picks it up and pokes it on, and De Bruyne's in the area, and De Bruyne has it, and there's a deflection, and it's saved, tipped away by Matt Sells, and out for another corner. Good play from De Bruyne, and he just gets a bit of a deflection on the way through off of Nico Williams, which sort of misplaces the goalkeeper a little bit, but he does really well to react and tip it wide for a corner. Here comes Nico Williams for Nottingham Forest, getting to the edge of the City penalty area, then he tries the shot, and Edison doesn't feel he can catch it, and pushes it out with two fists, and out for the corner, so Nottingham Forest have their first corner, and it was a good hit from Nico Williams. And then it's under the crossbar, it might even have touched the crossbar, Edison managed to get it away, not sure if that was a deliberate ploy, anyway the second ball comes in, and there's an almighty collision, and the ball's up into the air, and Simon Hooper's given City a free kick because Edison's down, and nursing his left shoulder by the look of it, Bollie's also in a heap. It was a bit messy to say the very least there, Kip. Yeah, I think a bit of a coming together there, and really Bollie's a big old lad, he's not one you want to be running into particularly. City have two goalkeepers on the bench today, Stefan Ortega and Scott Carson. Edison with pain, but he's OK. Rodri took Vardial, Vardial helps it further to Grealish, Grealish in the penalty area, up against Williams, and he wins a corner off Williams' legs, so City ahead on the corner count, but it's still 0-0. So Vrojna's going to hit an in-swinger, it's to the near post, and it's in, it's a brilliant goal, Josko Vardial, he went away from his marker, and glanced it in at the near post, straight off the training ground, straight into the back of the Nottingham Forest net, City 1-0 Forest. Fantastic ball in, Murillo's trying to cover the space, but Vardial comes from deep, gets across the front of him, gets a good, solid touch, and it goes flying into the near post. Great ball in from De Bruyne, he whips the ball into that area, it's just there for someone to attack across the first defender, which Vardial does with aplomb and scores a great goal. City lead by a goal to nil, Josko Vardial's third goal for City in the month of April. Crossing position for Eimear, Eimear looks up, hits in a deep ball, and it's gone, oh, right across the face of the goal! And Chris Wood hit an air shot, that was a golden opportunity for the equaliser, and Chris Wood fluffed his lines. Oh, it's a poor putt, it's behind him, it's not the easiest of chances, but he's got to do a lot better than that, he'll be very disappointed with that, and they're let off the City. Forest have got the ball, and they're moving it out wide to Hudson-Odoi again, and Aiyana's coming to make it difficult down that side, Doku's got to funnel in, and he's going to have to go with one of them. Aiyana's being stopped by Okanji, and Okanji concedes the corner. Well, there is a genuine problem down the flanks at the moment. They hit another in-swinging ball, City have got three men on that near-post area, it goes into that near-post, Edison can't quite get to it, and who scooped that over the bar? It was Murillo, from underneath the City crossbar, what a chance. So a double change, one in force because of the injury to Edison, what a choice. Aiyana on towards the scurrying Elanga, Walker can't get to him, in the back, surely now Wood? No, he's mishitted, and City clear it. Well, Walker was completely flummoxed, Elanga got beyond him, it was a tap-in for Wood, and Wood just didn't strike it, and City stay at 1-0, but by the skin of their teeth... Noel Gallagher who's in the midst of those City fans behind the right-hand goal, a right-hand goal that hasn't seen too much City action in front of it in the second half. Well, are you surprised at all to see Haaland coming on? No, absolutely not, it's quite an obvious thing to do, bringing one of the best strikers in the world is not a bad option. 28 minutes to go, every time I look at the clock I'm pretty certain it's gone backwards. De Bruyne now, chance to come forward City, Alvarez darts in, can he get his shot in? Well, he's hit it over the bar, it was swinging away off his left foot, and it ends among the City fans behind the goal. Wasn't an easy chance, but boy could we have done with it going in. You can see why Kovacic has been brought on, and you can see the difference it has made since he has. Kovacic finds a pass to Alvarez, Alvarez on to De Bruyne, De Bruyne in a shooting position, great save, terrific hit from De Bruyne. City fans behind the goal, ready to roar, good save, and well, you have to say, that is good goalkeeper. City have had two or three minutes of possession, Forest just starting maybe to show signs of wilting a little bit when they're out of possession. Akanji, on it goes to Bernardo Silva, City doing well to keep hold of the ball, and believe you me, when you're out of possession, your energy drains. Now Haaland, getting into a position to shoot, Haaland! Haaland's provided it, it is City 2, Nottingham Forest 0. They've ridden out the storm, and they've grabbed a two-goal lead. Yeah, absolutely fantastic goal, took it really, really well. Again, KDB found a little bit of space, played in Haaland, it was 1v1 then with Murillo. Fakes to come inside on his stronger left foot, Haaland, Murillo buys it a little bit, then he goes the other way onto his right. Just took the chance really early, Sells comes out and he took the chance really early and rolls it into the far corner. Well, that was just what the doctor ordered. Kevin de Bruyne, for the 18th time, has set up Erling Haaland for a goal. Yates has got Ake behind him, Yates holds it up, ball is on the left wing position, on it goes to Hudson-Odoi, cross comes in, Ortega was just slightly out of position, couldn't catch it, parried it away. There's a bit of a scare there for City. Kevin de Bruyne has been named man of the match, and, well, you have to say, once again, two assists for KDB. Oskar Bob scampers forward for the Blues, on it goes to Kovacic, City getting towards the final third, do they want to grab a third goal or do they just want to see out the last few seconds? Kovacic, well, they've got more energy than Forrest, and they will be able to find gaps. Oskar Bob, on it goes to Haaland in the area, Haaland has the strength but Sells pushes out a left arm and saves it, and then bowls it out into the possession of Hudson-Odoi. And Simon Hooper sounds the whistle, and City have beat Nottingham Forest by two goals to nil. Let's be honest about it, it was not one of those days where City bossed it from start to finish. Nottingham Forest had some great moments in the game, Arsenal lead City by a point, City have a game in hand, this is going right to the wire, but the champions, they want to make history and do it four in a row, wins like this prove that they can.