Pep Guardiola reveals who’s to blame as Man City lose ground in title race
Pep Guardiola initially expressed frustration with the match officials but later admitted that it was his team’s fault for the outcome of the game, which could potentially cost them the title.
The Manchester City manager became angry on the sidelines over referee Graham Scott’s performance and received a booking for strongly voicing his opinion that City should have been awarded a penalty due to Joe Worrall’s shirt tug on Erling Haaland.
However, Guardiola later acknowledged that the result was due to City’s inability to finish off a spirited Forest side led by Steve Cooper. Despite dominating possession with an 84% share in the first half, City only managed to score one goal, a stunning strike from Bernardo Silva.
In the second half, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Aymeric Laporte missed crucial opportunities to score that a top-finishing team must convert.
However, with just six minutes remaining in the game, Manchester City suffered a devastating blow as Forest substitute Chris Wood scored a surprise equalizer, causing the City Ground to erupt in celebration.
This marks the third instance this season that Manchester City has lost points to a team that only had one shot on target. Following their victory against Arsenal in the previous week, which propelled them to the top of the table, Guardiola’s team is once again looking up at the Gunners.
Guardiola said: “We dropped points because we didn’t score more – and we could have also defended with more energy for their goal.
“The way we played was brilliant. We should have been 3-0 up at half-time but then we conceded one shot on target and dropped points.
“We had a good victory at Arsenal. Today we played even better against a team that defended with nine players in their box.
“But when you miss so many chances just one metre from the goal…what can I say?
“After games like that, you don’t say anything to the players. You just go home and go to sleep and think about the next game.”
Manchester City’s next game is an away match against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, and Guardiola will be hoping that his team can improve their finishing skills. In the first half of the Nottingham Forest game, City had a dominant presence on the pitch, but the home team did not give up. Rodri missed a glorious opportunity by heading the ball wide, while Ilkay Gundogan also had a near-miss. However, just four minutes before halftime, Bernardo Silva received a short pass from Jack Grealish and smashed a powerful 25-yard shot over the head of Forest goalkeeper Keylor Navas and into the roof of the net.
Manchester City’s next game is an away match against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, and Guardiola will be hoping that his team can improve their finishing skills.
In the first half of the Nottingham Forest game, City had a dominant presence on the pitch, but the home team did not give up.
Rodri missed a glorious opportunity by heading the ball wide, while Ilkay Gundogan also had a near-miss.
However, just four minutes before halftime, Bernardo Silva received a short pass from Jack Grealish and smashed a powerful 25-yard shot over the head of Forest goalkeeper Keylor Navas and into the roof of the net.
Cooper insisted: “I’m disappointed with VAR because there was a clear foul on Joe Worrall.
“For me VAR has let the referee down.”
Although Keylor Navas could have done better with Bernardo Silva’s goal, he made up for it with some crucial saves in the second half. Phil Foden had a chance to double City’s lead, but he slipped and failed to pass the ball to Haaland, who was in a position to score a tap-in.
Aymeric Laporte headed Kevin De Bruyne’s corner kick straight at Navas from close range. In the 65th minute, Guardiola’s frustration boiled over, and he was booked for reacting theatrically to Worrall’s challenge on Haaland.
He said: “Why would Erling fall down when he’s one-against-one with the keeper?
“Maybe it would have been soft, maybe not, but that was why I was complaining to the fourth official – and I got a deserved yellow card.”
Guardiola’s mood worsened when Navas fumbled Foden’s shot, and Haaland’s rebound hit the crossbar before he missed an open goal with the loose ball. With 11 minutes remaining, Cooper brought on Chris Wood, who was on loan from Newcastle, and the New Zealand striker positioned himself at the far post and scored after Brennan Johnson and Morgan White-Gibbs produced Forest’s first move of any quality.
The goal was crucial for Forest and devastating for City.
Cooper said: “We put a plan in place to stay in it for as long as we could.
“City are probably the best team in the world at domestic level, but we wanted that one moment to get in – and it was a great goal.”
Pep Guardiola reveals who’s to blame as Man City lose ground in title race
