With a goal and an assist from Rayan Cherki, Manchester City won this Saturday 2-1 on their visit to the Nottingham Forest, for the 18th round of the Premier League, and was the provisional leader of the tournament. Pep Guardiola’s team reached 40 points and momentarily surpassed Arsenal, which has 39 and had to play later against Brighton.
The victory was not easy at the City Ground. After an even first half that ended goalless, City took the lead in the 48th minute with a shot by the Dutchman Tijjani Reijnders, who took advantage of a great clearance by Cherki in his team’s first clear arrival. However, Forest reacted quickly and equalized in the 54th minute, when Omari Hutchinson scored from close range after a precise assist from Brazilian Igor Jesus.
When the tie seemed sealed and City were saying goodbye to two key points in the fight for the top, Cherki appeared again. At 83 minutes, the Frenchman captured a rebound after a corner kick and scored the final 2-1, which had to be validated by the VAR. For Forest it was the second consecutive defeat and they were left with 18 points, just five above West Ham, which occupies the first relegation place.
