Nottingham Forest 3-1 Manchester City was the kind of result that makes a season turn. Liam Delap struck twice and Jair Cunha scored his first Forest goal as the Reds finally won at home on 7 November 2026, in front of 30,762 fans at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest 3-1 Manchester City: a night that answered the doubters
Forest had waited all season for a home win under Oliver Glasner, and the head coach had challenged his players to respond to a frustrating run. Boy, did they respond. This was high-pressing, quick-breaking football, and it blew away a City side that arrived second in the table and left with a third league defeat of the campaign.
The perfect start came in the sixth minute. Cunha joined the Forest press, won the ball back in a dangerous area and then strolled into the City box like a forward, finishing beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma. For a centre-back, it was a remarkable piece of composure, and it lit up the ground.
It nearly got better within moments. Daniel Munoz fed James McAtee, but the City keeper held his low effort at the near post. The second goal was not far behind, though. In the 18th minute Xaver Schlager released Delap, who ran half the length of the pitch before finishing with aplomb past Donnarumma. It was the striker’s first goal on Trentside, and the roar said everything.
Cunha’s clearance keeps Haaland out
City needed a response and went looking for it. Marc Guehi’s cross found Enzo Fernandez, who headed it into the Trent End. Just before the break, Elliot Anderson and Abdukodir Khusanov combined to release Erling Haaland, who took the ball round Matz Sels only to see Cunha clear brilliantly off the line. Without that block, the half-time story might have been very different.
City hit back, Delap hits harder
As expected, City started the second half on the front foot, and they halved the deficit in the 52nd minute. Rayan Cherki took a pass and drove a first-time effort into the top-left corner, a strike that gave the visitors fresh belief. Haaland then went for the top-right corner but fired over the bar, and the pressure on the Forest goal built.
Yet Forest never lost their threat on the break. Delap kept running the channels and finding space behind City’s full-backs, and Ryan Yates, making his first start of the season, was outstanding in midfield. In the final 25 minutes his deflected strike clipped the crossbar on its way behind for a corner, with Donnarumma stranded as the game opened up.
Then came the decisive moment. With around a quarter of the match left, Morgan Gibbs-White released Delap down the left, and the forward strode into the box and rifled a shot into the top-left corner, kissing the post on its way in. The City Ground erupted. Forest saw the final minutes out with relative comfort and still carried a threat on the counter.
The numbers behind the win
- It was Forest’s first home win of 2026/27 and the first time they have scored more than twice in a single league game this season.
- Delap’s brace took his tally on Trentside from nought to two in one evening.
- Four Forest players were booked as the hosts defended their lead through nervy late stages.
- City’s second-half pressure produced one goal, but Sels was rarely beaten otherwise.
What it means for the Premier League table
Forest climb to nine points from 10 games, which puts them 16th, and they head into the international break in far better spirits than they began it. For a side that has had to be patient with a new forward line, Delap’s double is an obvious boost, and Cunha’s goal shows how contagious the pressing has become.
For City, the defeat is costly in more ways than one. They remain second on 21 points, but Arsenal beat Hull City 1-0 earlier in the day and moved six points clear. You can read how that unfolded in our Arsenal 1-0 Hull City report, and if you missed our look ahead to both games, our Arsenal, Hull, Forest and Manchester City preview is still worth a read.
The international break now separates Forest from their next league fixture, which is away at AFC Bournemouth on Saturday 21 November 2026. After this performance, there will be few teams in the division who fancy facing them on a night when the press is working and Delap has space to run into.
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