Five Premier League games will be played throughout the day on Saturday. Keep checking for updates.
Manchester City edged past Nottingham Forest thanks to an early two-goal salvo but lost Rodri to a potentially costly red card.
The home side took an early lead through Phil Foden, who finished perfectly after a great move, highlighted by a fantastic pass from Rodri on the set-piece, with 46 passes in that move being the second most in front of a goal in the game. Premier League since such record-keeping began in 2006/07.
Seven minutes later they doubled their lead through Erling Haaland when Forest’s defense failed to pick him up inside the box and he headed home Matheus Nunes’ cross with ease.
City’s task was made a little more difficult moments after the restart when Rodri was shown a straight red card for grabbing Morgan Gibbs-White by the neck, picking up the first dismissal of his career and crucially missing their trip to Arsenal next month.
Despite this blot on the book, the champions remain top of the table, while Steve Cooper’s side are in tenth place after the loss.
Man City Player Ratings vs Nottingham
Ederson: Almost lost his head when squaring up to Awoniyi, but was off his line well in the first half to deny the striker a clear run on goal. 7
Walker: Excellent run and lay-off for the opening goal and his wide positioning baffled Tavares while he was on the pitch. Worked hard to remain an outlet when City were down to 10. 8
Akanji: An excellent second-half block on Gibbs-White, the villain of the piece for those inside the Etihad, and was unfortunate to be booked before the break. Solid. 8
Dias: Got a telling-off from Guardiola late in the first half but defended well when City were down to 10. Handled Awoniyi pretty well. 7
Gvardiol: Loose with the ball a couple of times in the first half but stood strong after the break, moving infield as more of a natural centre-back after Rodri’s sending off. 7
Rodri: Dominant in the first half and played a stunning pass to create the first goal, but his moment of madness early in the second half could prove very costly. 5
Nunes: Twice involved in Haaland’s goal, intercepting a counter-attack and then sprinting forward to provide a good assist. Comfortable on the ball in tight areas. 8
Foden: Took his goal brilliantly and Forest couldn’t get a handle on his positioning in the first half. Felt telling he stayed on as Guardiola went defensive after Rodri’s red card and he was a threat on the counter. 8
Alvarez: Should have scored in the first half but his positioning was a threat to the Forest defence. Was an obvious player to be subbed when Rodri lost his head. 7
Doku: A lively presence again down the left. Nearly created a goal for Alvarez with one mazy run, involved in the first and Forest resorted to kicking him. 7
Haaland: Took his goal well but wasn’t really involved much aside from that. Plouged a very lone furrow in the second half after City had been reduced to 10. 7
Substitutes
Phillips: Felt like a big 45 minutes or so for him given the absence of Rodri for three games, including Arsenal away. Worked hard and managed to keep the space closed, especially around the dangerous Gibbs-White. 7
Ake: Came on as a reaction to Forest introducing Elanga and Hudson-Odoi. Kept a tight leash on the former down the Forest right and can be relied on in these situations. 7
Grealish: A late substitute to replace Foden. N/A
Not used: Ortega, Carson, Lewis, Gomez, Bobb
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