CHERKI FINDS THE ANSWER AS CITY BREAK FOREST HEARTS IN THRILLING BATTLE
Rayan Cherki came up with the late winner as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City moved top of the Premier League table with a battling 2-1 win against a spirited Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
The French attacking midfielder drilled a fine finish into the net from Josko Gvardiol’s cushioned header on 83 minutes as the visitors celebrated a sixth straight win in the top flight and an eighth in all competitions.
After a frantic first half in which neither team could manage a shot on target, it was City who moved ahead when Cherki played in Tijjani Reijnders to wallop a low finish beyond home goalkeeper John Victor on 48 minutes.
But the lead lasted only six minutes as Omari Hutchinson swept home the equaliser on 54 minutes with his first Forest goal after being teed up by Igor Jesus with a telling cross from a superb team move.
City probably just about deserved the victory as they moved one point clear of Arsenal before the Gunners hosted Brighton at the Emirates later on Saturday.
But it was hard not to feel for Sean Dyche’s Forest, who remain fourth from bottom, five points ahead of West Ham, after matching City for long spells of a frantic contest that came to life in a thrilling second half that could have gone either way.
Guardiola’s side head for Sunderland in their next tough away assignment on New Year’s Day, while Forest will bid to arrest their two-game losing streak when they host Everton on Tuesday evening.
