Rayan Cherki played a key role as Manchester City defeated Nottingham Forest 2-1 on Saturday to strengthen their push for the Premier League title.
Gatekeepers News reports that the French midfielder was City’s standout performer at the City Ground, providing the assist for the opening goal and scoring the late winner to secure all three points. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s side to the top of the table.
City took the lead shortly after the break when Cherki created space and slipped a neat pass to Tijjani Reijnders, who finished calmly past the Forest goalkeeper. Forest responded soon after as Omari Hutchinson scored his first goal for the club to bring the home side level.
With the match finely balanced, City pressed for a winner and found it in the closing stages. Cherki reacted quickly inside the box and struck a powerful shot that beat the goalkeeper, sealing the win for the visitors.
The result marked City’s eighth straight victory in all competitions and their sixth consecutive league win. They moved one point ahead of Arsenal, who were still to play later in the day.
Forest had chances of their own, especially in the first half, but failed to convert them. The home side also paid tribute before kick-off to former winger John Robertson, who passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 72.
Cherki, who joined City from Lyon in the summer, has continued to grow in influence under Guardiola and is becoming an important part of the team’s title challenge. His performance against Forest further highlighted his impact in big matches.
Forest, who have been difficult opponents at home this season, remained competitive throughout but were undone by City’s quality in key moments.
