Manchester City fell to a 3–1 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Matchday 10 of the Premier League, leaving them six points behind leaders Arsenal heading into the international break.
Enzo Maresca’s side had hoped to build on their 3–2 Champions League win over RB Leipzig, but Forest capitalised on City’s mistakes to score twice inside 18 minutes at the City Ground and struck again just as the visitors looked capable of getting back on level terms.
Brazilian defender Jair Cunha sparked the upset in the sixth minute when he dispossessed Joško Gvardiol and raced through to score Forest’s first home league goal of the season, having failed to find the net in their previous four Premier League games at the City Ground.
Liam Delap doubled the lead in the 18th minute with a powerful finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma after carrying the ball from midfield, leaving City behind for a third straight league game and, according to Opta, two goals down earlier than in any Premier League match since Liverpool went 2–0 up inside 13 minutes in November 2019.
Rayan Cherki pulled one back with a first-time finish in the 52nd minute and Erling Haaland missed a chance to equalise before Morgan Gibbs-White led a counterattack that ended with Delap firing into the top corner in the 73rd minute to complete his brace against his former club.
Following defeats to Aston Villa (2–1) and Brighton (1–0), City’s third straight league loss made them only the second team in English top-flight history to win their first seven games and lose the next three, according to Opta, after Sheffield Wednesday in 1904–05.
City stayed provisionally second on 21 points, six behind an Arsenal side who beat Hull City 1–0, with Brighton able to move above them by beating Brentford, while Forest’s first home league win of the season lifted them from 19th to 16th on nine points.
City return from the break at home to Fulham on 21 November, then host Napoli in the Champions League on 24 November before visiting Arsenal in a meeting of the Premier League’s top two on 29 November.
Forest visit Bournemouth on 21 November and host Chelsea on 27 November as they look to put more distance between themselves and the relegation zone.
