Nottingham Forest 1-2 Man City: Rayan Cherki grabs goal and assist as City win eighth consecutive game to continue title charge
Report and free match highlights, with Rayan Cherki proving decisive as Man City flexed their title credentials at Nottingham Forest; Cherki assisted Tijjani Reijnders for City's opener before Omari Hutchinson's equaliser; Cherki then scored winner
Saturday 27 December 2025 17:21, UK
Rayan Cherki scored a late winner to briefly send Manchester City top of the Premier League as they won 2-1 at Nottingham Forest.
Pep Guardiola's side left it late to edge past Forest with Cherki rifling home from the edge of the area with seven minutes left. The result moved City top, before Arsenal reclaimed their two-point advantage with victory at home to Brighton later on Saturday.
Cherki had already assisted the opener for Tijjani Reijnders - his fifth assist of the season - but Sean Dyche's side were always a threat and levelled when Omari Hutchinson found the net.
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Cherki's late strike proved the decisive moment as Guardiola's side made it eight wins on the spin.
The France international had not found the net in the league since the opening day of the season but picked the perfect time to end that drought.
It was a winning goal that left Forest boss Sean Dyche scathing at the officials.
Dyche felt Morgan Gibbs-White was fouled in the build-up to Cherki's goal and could not believe Ruben Dias was not shown a second yellow card for a foul on Igor Jesus earlier in the second half.
He said: "It's an awful thing when you have played so well to have to come in and talk about the officials affecting the game. But they clearly did; everyone in the stadium and everyone watching at home would have seen that.
"It was such an easy game to referee, in my opinion, and such an easy decision for VAR. I can't work out where football is with that sometimes.
"A player in the first half boots the ball away. In the 1980s, when I was playing, you boot the ball away, you get booked. He boots the ball into the crowd and then goes down on the floor injured apparently. How's that? Nothing happened?
"Same player brings Igor [Jesus] down in the second half. They say it's an accident. If that's an accident when he's running through on goal we all know what happens. You get a red card. So why is it an accident and he isn't yellow carded then?"
Forest honoured John Robertson before kick-off, remembering one of their greatest players who died on Christmas Day. The Scot helped Forest to back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980 and was described by Brian Clough as "the Picasso of our game". And they did him proud with a performance full of intent and energy as they matched their opponents throughout the game, only to be undone in the final 10 minutes.
But the way City ground out another win was an ominous sign for their title rivals.
'We are on the hunt!'
Tijjani Reijnders speaking to TNT Sports:
"It was very important. We know a lot of clubs suffer here. I felt it as well. But a very important win. We are on the hunt.
"It was difficult to find free men in between the lines, but in the second half we were able to execute.
"Cherki is a great player, that's for sure. When he finds space you have to be ready.
"He makes us all better players. It makes me so happy to play this way and I want to learn more and more.
"It's good. We want to put pressure on Arsenal and we ended today in a good way."
Pep: A massive three points
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said:
"Winter time, Nottingham Forest away… I know the memory is weak, but when we won one of the six Premier Leagues this type of game happens a lot.
"Three points but it's a massive three points, mainly for the quality of the opposition. Sean Dyche has created a proper team because they're so good. A few months ago they were fighting for the Champions League.
"It's a top side. I know the momentum isn't good in terms of results but that doesn't change the quality there, and the aggression of Sean Dyche is there.
"We talked about that; we needed an incredible mentality. It's more important how you suffer and defend, accept you can be better and be in the game, otherwise, no chance will you win. That game last season, we lost.
"The last game of the first leg of the season, it's good to finish with this important three points.
"It was a critical moment - it changed in the United States of America in the Club World Cup. We looked at ourselves and talked a lot and changed for many things. Now, it's a process.
"I'm complete, when we won a lot of titles in Barcelona, Bayern Munich, here, you have a lot of games of this type.
"The body language, how we celebrated, the connection with the fans is there, they love the 'keepers, the strikers, the people because they feel the team want to do it and fight for each other.
"The fans accept if you play bad, but don't if you don't put the heart or commitment for the people who adore that club, and that connection is there. It's been there for a long time, for many months."
Cherki could be Guardiola's joker in the pack
Sky Sports' Lewis Jones:
Manchester City's win at the City Ground was supposed to be about control, about the steady suffocation that has defined Guardiola's reign. A style that has led them to so many victories like this one down the years.
Instead, it became a reminder that football still bends to the will of the unpredictable. Cherki, with a goal and an assist, bent it sharply in City's favour. He is a maverick capable of moments that win games. Guardiola's system thrives on predictability among team-mates and unpredictability for opponents. Cherki flips that equation.
When he picked up the ball between the lines on Saturday, there was a sense of disorder creeping into Forest's defensive structure. His ability to escape with a swivel of the hips or a disguised touch is a thing of beauty.
He can accelerate the play too - as shown by his assist. A fifth of the season. One touch to shift the defence, another to slide Reijnders through. Cherki could just be the joker in Guardiola's pack this season.
A star is born
Sky Sports' Lewis Jones:
Nottingham Forest may have fallen short in the end against City, but their centre-forward Igor Jesus left with an enhanced reputation and with two of Europe's most accomplished defenders knowing they'd been in a proper fight.
With Chris Wood sidelined following another injury setback, Forest need someone to occupy the space, absorb pressure and give their team a platform. Igor Jesus didn't just fill the role, he owned it.
Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, usually so serene in City's defensive structure, spent much of the afternoon retreating, grappling and fouling - four times between them - as they struggled to contain Forest's physical focal point.
Dias, in particular, looked rattled. Already walking a disciplinary tightrope, he was fortunate not to see red after stopping Igor Jesus as he darted in behind in the second half. On another day, with another referee, the second yellow card was there.
On this showing Igor Jesus looks capable of leading the line with authority at Premier League level. No problem.
