Liam Delap scored two as Nottingham Forest ended their goal drought in style to beat Manchester City 3-1 at the City Ground. City had suffered back-to-back Premier League defeats but few could have expected Oliver Glasner's side to expose them this emphatically given that Forest were goalless let alone winless at home this season. Instead, their intensity was too much for City.
Forest fans had to wait almost six months and watch eight-and-a-half hours of football here without seeing their side score, but it was a stunner when it came. Jair Cunha tracked Josko Gvardiol, dispossessed him and ran through to score with his left foot. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player That came in the sixth minute but Glasner's side were two up 12 minutes later, this time Xaver Schlager beating former Forest man Elliot Anderson to the ball in midfield and sending the powerhouse Delap through to lash in just his second goal for the club.
City looked stunned at that point and James McAtee, playing in an advanced role with crowd favourite Ryan Yates brought in for this first start of the season, might have made it three before Enzo Maresca's men had offered anything. But there were then openings. Enzo Fernandez should have headed in Marc Guehi's cross.
Erling Haaland rounded Matz Sels only to see that man Jair Cunha clear his goal-bound shot. But by that stage Forest had a two-goal lead to hang onto in front of watching owner Evangelos Marinakis. Rayan Cherki halved it early in the second half with a rocket of a shot and City did push for the equaliser but Morgan Gibbs-White fed Delap on the break and his angled shot found the top corner of the net to send the City Ground wild with delight - and relief.
This long-awaited win pulls them out of the drop zone and feels like a turning point for Glasner after his recent frustrations. For City, they are the first top-flight team in 122 years to win their first seven and lose the next three. They stay six points behind Arsenal.
Glasner had suggested after the loss to Brentford that the time had come to make changes. As it was, only two players came into the team for this game but one of them was particularly significant with skipper Yates making his first start of the season. The popular midfielder personified the intensity required against City, not allowing them any time on the ball and also conducting the crowd in the rare moments when the noise levels dropped.
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