Manchester City twice squandered the lead against lowly Nottingham Forest in a 2-2 draw, leaving them seven points behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race. The Gunners now have the destiny of the title in their own hands.
Manchester – Manchester City’s quest to retain the Premier League title suffered a potentially fatal blow on Wednesday as they were held to a stunning 2-2 draw by relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s side twice took the lead through Antoine Semenyo and Rodri, but were pegged back on both occasions by Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson. The result, combined with Arsenal’s 1-0 victory at Brighton, leaves City seven points adrift of the league leaders with the title now out of their control.
Title Race Shift
Arsenal’s hard-fought win on the south coast means the Gunners are now seven points clear of City and have the destiny of the title in their own hands as they chase their first English crown since 2004. While City hold a game in hand—and still have Arsenal to visit the Etihad in April—Guardiola will rue another game in which his side lost control in the second half.
City’s Dominance Unrewarded
City started brightly and their pressure finally paid off in the 31st minute. Rayan Cherki drifted into the box and crossed for Semenyo, who adjusted well to volley past Matz Sels from 10 yards. It was the forward’s fifth goal in eight Premier League appearances since his move from Bournemouth.
Bernardo Silva forced a good save from Sels early in the second half, and Cherki blasted over, but City were rocked when Forest struck back against the run of play after 56 minutes.
Ola Aina was allowed to break and cross from the right after outpacing Rayan Ait-Nouri. Igor Jesus nodded down at the back post, and Gibbs-White wrong-footed City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with an instinctive backheel.
City Reclaim Lead, Then Crumble
City hit back powerfully, reclaiming the lead in the 62nd minute from a corner. Rodri got forward to bullet home a header from Ait-Nouri’s cross, despite Forest’s claims that Sels was impeded.
However, City couldn’t land the knockout blow and paid the price in the 76th minute. Anderson exchanged passes with Callum Hudson-Odoi and curled a superb finish into the bottom corner from outside the area, leaving Guardiola stunned.
Last-Gasp Heartbreak
City pushed desperately for a winner in the closing stages. Deep into stoppage time, Savinho had a shot cleared off the line by Murillo with the last kick of the game, compounding City’s frustration.
Forest’s Survival Hopes
Fourth-bottom Forest remain without a win in the league under new manager Vitor Pereira, but on this evidence—taking a point from the champions at the Etihad—they have a fighting chance of survival.
