1 min read
Football Insider

Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest: Player Ratings and Match Analysis - Advantage Arsenal!

Manchester City stumbled at home against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest, settling for a 2-2 draw and allowing Arsenal to gain ground in the Premier League title race. Despite goals from Antoine Semenyo and Rodri, moments of brilliance from the visitors dented City's hopes. Read on for a detailed breakdown of the key events and player performances.

Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest: Player Ratings and Match Analysis - Advantage Arsenal!

Manchester City twice threw away the lead to draw 2-2 at home to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest, ceding ground in the Premier League title race to Arsenal. Antoine Semenyo and Rodri scored for Pep Guardiola's side but they were caught out twice in the second half by a pair of magnificent goals from England duo Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson.Semenyo volleyed home a Rayan Cherki cross in the 35th minute to score his fifth Premier League goal since his £64m ($85m) move from Bournemouth in January and his 15th in total this season. City were far from their best though and were pegged back in the second half by an impudent backheel from Morgan Gibbs-White, who the Cityzens had considered signing in the summer before turning to Cherki.They were only level for six minutes though as City took a leaf out of title rivals Arsenal's book and restored their lead from a corner, Rodri ghosting in unmarked to head home Rayan Ait-Nouri's inswinger.City had a half-hearted penalty appeal turned down when Erling Haaland went down from a challenge by Matz Sels and they were made to pay for not adding to their lead after another moment of true quality from the visitors as Anderson curled into the bottom corner from outside the box.City had seven minutes of added time to strike again but it wasn't enough and Ryan Yates almost grabbed a shock winner for the struggling visitors while Rodri had a late penalty appeal for a challenge from Anderson turned down. City kept pushing right until the end and it took a block from Murillo to prevent substitute Savinho finding a winner.The draw leaves City trailing Arsenal by seven points but they have a game in hand and host the Gunners in April.GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium...Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):Made smart saves from Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus to keep the visitors at bay in the first half but was totally flummoxed by Gibbs-White's moment of genius and could do nothing about Anderson's late curler.Matheus Nunes (5/10):A drop off from his usual performances, struggling to pierce Forest's back five. Ended the game at left-back.Ruben Dias (6/10):Reacted a tad late to stop Gibbs-White but can't be blamed too much given the quality of the goal. Made an important challenge on Nicolas Dominguez soon after.Marc Guehi (6/10):Given a hard time by Igor Jesus and his passing was a little sloppy, preventing City from having much control of the play.Rayan Ait-Nouri (6/10):Couldn't stop Ola Aina crossing for the goal but soon made amends with his corner delivery to Rodri.Rodri (7/10):City's driving force throughout the game. Played well in the first half and took it upon himself to lead them to victory. Gave it his best shot with his goal and could have earned a penalty.Bernardo Silva (6/10):Forced a save from Selz after some brilliant footwork.Phil Foden (5/10):Was highly involved in the first half with two efforts on goal and a through ball to Haaland but each time his quality left something to be desired. Taken off for Doku.Antoine Semenyo (7/10):Took his goal well and was close to scoring with a fizzing free-kick.Erling Haaland (5/10):Another game where he failed to bring his shooting boots and, unlike in other games, didn't offer a whole lot more. His best effort was a deflected shot that came off the top of the bar while he fired into the side netting in the first half from a tough angle.Rayan Cherki (7/10):Made the opening goal with a quality surge into the box and kept trying to feed his team-mates, including Haaland. Would be entitled to wonder why he was taken off.Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingAbdukodir Khusanov (5/10):Wasn't put it his best position when he came on and couldn't help open Forest up.Jeremy Doku (6/10):Couldn't bring his usual magic.Savinho (N/A):Had a positive impact and was unlucky to see his last-gasp shot blocked by compatriot Murillo.Pep Guardiola (6/10):Will be disappointed with his side's lack of fluidity throughout. His substitutions didn't make much sense as Cherki was playing well and by the end Khusanov and Nunes were out of position.

1

Key Events at the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City twice surrendered the lead to Nottingham Forest, with Semenyo and Rodri finding the net for the hosts. However, superb strikes from Gibbs-White and Anderson leveled the score. City failed to capitalize on their chances, with Haaland notably misfiring in front of goal. The draw leaves City trailing Arsenal in the title race, with Guardiola's side needing to regroup for the challenges ahead.

2

Player Performances and Ratings

Gianluigi Donnarumma made crucial saves but was beaten by Forest's quality strikes. Rodri emerged as City's standout performer, scoring and leading the team's efforts. Semenyo and Cherki showed flashes of brilliance, while Haaland struggled to make an impact. Guardiola's substitutions came under scrutiny, with some questioning their effectiveness in changing the game's dynamics.

Published on Mar 4, 2026