Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed frustration after his team dropped more points from a winning position in a dramatic draw against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Manchester City twice took the lead during the match but failed to hold on, allowing Nottingham Forest to fight back and secure a valuable point. The result leaves Manchester City seven points behind league leaders Arsenal, dealing a setback to their Premier League title hopes.
City appeared to be on course for victory after goals from Antoine Semenyo and Rodri. However, Nottingham Forest responded on both occasions. Morgan Gibbs-White scored the first equaliser before Elliot Anderson struck again to ensure the hosts earned a share of the spoils.
Manchester City controlled much of the game. Guardiola’s side recorded around 70 percent possession and produced 21 goal attempts. Despite dominating the match, they were unable to convert their chances into a winning result.
The draw highlights a worrying trend for Manchester City this season. The defending champions have now dropped 13 points from winning positions in the Premier League campaign.
Speaking after the match, Guardiola said his team performed well but admitted it was frustrating not to secure the win.
“It is a lot, but there are games that maybe we didn’t deserve it. Today we played, in general, well for 90 minutes,” Guardiola said.
The Manchester City boss explained that defending transitions and long balls remains an important part of games against teams like Nottingham Forest.
“You have to stop transitions and defend long balls, but in general the game was well played,” he added.
January signing Antoine Semenyo continued his strong start since joining Manchester City from AFC Bournemouth. The forward scored his seventh goal for the club to give City the advantage before half-time.
However, Manchester City again struggled to maintain their lead in the second half. If matches ended at half-time this season, Guardiola’s side would be sitting 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Instead, Manchester City now trail Arsenal by seven points, although they still have a game in hand against Crystal Palace.
Guardiola refused to blame individual players for the result, insisting the team created enough chances to win the game.
“I would like to concede fewer but it’s not about analysing one specific action,” he said.
“I never point fingers at my players. We had the chances in the first half and at the end of the game, but something always happens and we could not win.”
The dropped points could prove costly in the Premier League title race. Arsenal strengthened their position at the top of the table with a narrow 1-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion.
For Manchester City, the draw against Nottingham Forest is another reminder that failing to protect a lead can make the difference in a tightly contested title race.
