Nottingham Forest Stuns Manchester City At City Ground

Nottingham Forest secured a stunning 1-0 victory over Manchester City at the City Ground, thanks to a late goal from Callum Hudson-Odoi.

This Premier League (PL) result solidifies Forest’s impressive season and also throws a wrench into City’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) qualification ambitions.

Going into the match, Forest, defying conventional wisdom with the league’s lowest average possession, sat just a point above the reigning champions.

Manchester City, known for their possession-based dominance, controlled the ball for large stretches of the game but struggled to break down a resolute Forest defense.

The first half saw limited clear-cut chances. Erling Haaland had an early shot deflected wide, while Nico González rattled the post with a long-range effort for Forest.

Despite City’s possession, Forest remained compact and organized, maintaining their impressive record of not trailing at home at halftime this season.

Second half 

The second half followed a similar pattern, with City probing and Forest remaining defensively solid.

A moment of brilliance from Hudson-Odoi in the 67th minute almost broke the deadlock, but his shot was denied by a combination of Ederson and the post. Pep Guardiola introduced fresh legs in Kevin De Bruyne and Omar Marmoush, but neither could unlock the Forest defense.

The decisive moment arrived late in the game when a magnificent pass from Morgan Gibbs-White found Hudson-Odoi in space. The winger drove towards goal, cut inside, and unleashed a precise shot past Ederson at his near post.

City desperately sought an equalizer, with Mateo Kovačić’s powerful volley flashing just wide, but Forest held firm to secure a historic victory.

This win marks Forest’s first league triumph over City since December 1997 and keeps them firmly in third place, maintaining their top-four position throughout 2025.

The defeat leaves City’s UCL qualification hopes in jeopardy. A Chelsea victory over Leicester City on Sunday would see City drop out of the guaranteed Champions League spots.