Nottingham Forest 0-1 Man City – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Josko Gvardiol breaks the deadlock with his head from a corner

If you haven’t seen the goal yet, here is your chance.

It went in like a bullet, I just looked up and saw it was in the back of the net. Some header.

When you have this quality in your team, no matter how you play, you will always get goals.

Kevin De Bruyne is just relentless, isn’t he?

He may not be having his best game today, but as always, he still finds a way to do the damage.

This statistic is just so impressive, as was the assist.

Ian Ladyman, Mail Sport Football Editor, at the City Ground:

This is about as unimpressive City ever look and they are still winning at half-time with their goalkeeper yet to make a save.

That does not tell the whole story, admittedly. Forest have made life uncomfortable for the City defence when they have delivered arial balls and they have – through Wood and Murillo – missed two very good chances.

Manchester City lead at the break, but is it deserved? I wouldn’t say so on the evidence so far.

Nottingham Forest have gone toe-to-toe with the Champions and should probably have at least one goal to their name.

However, they don’t and Josko Gvardiol’s powerful header means Man City do. That’s just how football goes sometimes.

This game is far from over.

It just won’t go in for Nottingham Forest!

Ederson nearly has a moment to forget as he doesn’t get a clean punch on a corner, and he should pay for it but doesn’t.

The ball drops to Murillo two yards out with his back to goal and he flicks the ball up onto the bar and over.

I can’t believe they are not level.

Nottingham Forest have four minutes to see if they can get back on terms before the break.

Once again though, the City Ground is very flat…

Tom Collomosse, Mail Sport, at the City Ground:

This is the 3-4-3 system that brought Nuno some success against City during his time at Wolves and it has worked today, with wing-backs Neco Williams – before he went off injured – and Ola Aina lively. But Forest’s Achilles heel has undone them again. That was the 23rd goal they have conceded from a set piece in the league this term.

Nottingham Forest have actually responded well to going behind.

Callum Hudson-Odoi has a chance this time, but he rushes his shot from outside the area and scuffs the ball over the bar.

Manchester City are allowing the home side plenty of opportunities.

Oh my word, how are Nottingham Forest not level?

Chris Wood has been extremely reliable this season, but he has just dropped an absolute clanger.

Ola Aina swings in a cross which is played back across the box by Gonzalo Montiel for Wood.

The goal is gaping, he simply can’t miss, but he miskicks the ball and the chance goes begging.

Ian Ladyman, Mail Sport Football Editor, at the City Ground:

You can’t afford to give bad goals away against the best teams. At the very least you have to make them earn them.

Nice near post header from Gvardiol to give City the lead from a corner but he was able to run off Gibbs-White and across Murillo far too easily to meet the ball first.

The goal has completely changed the feeling of this game. The City Ground is now silent bar the Manchester City supporters in the corner.

Anyway, Neco Williams is indeed making way, Gonzalo Montiel comes on in his place.

Just as Nottingham Forest are down to 10 men, Manchester City pounce and it’s through a storming header by Josko Gvardiol.

It comes from a corner, and my oh my, it’s a beautiful one from Kevin De Bruyne. Gvardiol sprints to the front post to head it home.

As the ball hit the net you could feel the life being sucked from the stadium.

Oh, Neco Williams… that is not what you want to see.

The Nottingham Forest defender does really well to force Jack Grealish out of room, but in the process pulls up with a hamstring problem.

He is now off the pitch and looks unlikely to continue. he had been playing so well too.

It just feels like this game is there for Nottingham Forest.

Chris Wood gets the ball on the edge of the area and decides to have a go. It comes close, but he bends it just over the bar.

The City Ground have enjoyed the last few minutes as Forest have defended well and then tried to hit City on the counter.

Ian Ladyman, Mail Sport Football Editor, at the City Ground:

Opportunity knocks for Forest here as City are not at their best so far. No fluency to their play in the final third. Too many poorly weighted or poorly judged passes.

Can Forest cause them a genuine threat up front though? They will need to as City will score at some point today. They just will…

That may leave a lump on the ol’ noggin!

Kevin De Bruyne is usually clinical from dead-ball situations, but this time he fires one powerfully into the wall.

The ball is headed away by Willy Boly, but it came at him at some pace and he needs a second to recover.

I’m hoping that was a mistimed cross and not a shot from Josko Gvardiol…

The Manchester City full-back plants one high and wide of the Nottingham Forest net. It certainly didn’t look like a shot.

Ederson is down after a collision with Willy Boly. It was a big hit when they both clashed.

After a while receiving treatment though, Ederson is ok to continue, which is a relief for Pep Guardiola.

Nottingham Forest are not scared to have a go at Manchester City.

Neco Williams is once again the man on the end of a flowing move and he forces Ederson into a strong save from a tight angle.

Every time Forest move forward, the City Ground roars and it is some noise.

Manchester City nearly make Nottingham Forest pay for losing the ball at the back.

Chris Wood panics as he receives the ball and gives it away before Jeremy Doku pounces and firs a low drive just wide.

That would have been a poor goal to concede.

I think it just found its voice again!

Ola Aina does very well on the left-hand side and has the Manchester City defence backtracking as he runs at them.

He wins a foul as Jeremy Doku leaves one on him, but the resulting free-kick dips just over the bar from the boot of Morgan Gibbs-White.

Forest just reminding City there that they can cause them problems.

Kevin De Bruyne forces Matz Sels into a brilliant low save with a deflected strike.

It all started with Rodri winning the ball high up the pitch off Morgan Gibbs-White. He is the very best at it.

The City Ground is very flat now as City have taken control of this game.

The home side’s fast-paced start has now been halted by the Champions.

Man City have got a hold of the ball and taken the sting out of the games, as they always do.

I’m sure the chances are about to follow.

Ian Ladyman, Mail Sport Football Editor, at the City Ground:

Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo said before this game that nobody will blame external factors if his team go down.

Nice words but that’s exactly what Forest have been doing for as long as I can remember. The fact is that a couple of wins would get Forest out of this mess but under Nuno, they have only managed two this calendar year.

Nearly the perfect start by Nottingham Forest.

Neco Williams gets on the end of a brilliant cross but he can’t sort his feet out to turn the ball home.

What a start that would have been!

Right, we are now we are underway at the City Ground.

Can Nottingham Forest mount a shock, or will Man City’s usual calmness get the job done?

Ian Ladyman, Mail Sport Football Editor, at the City Ground:

So the gauntlet is thrown down by Arsenal but it’s unlikely City will be fazed. The fact is that Pep Guardiola’s tea, need to beat Forest, Wolves, Fulham, Spurs, and West Ham in order to be champions for the fourth consecutive year. I will be very surprised if they don’t do it.

Nottingham Forest must agree with my dislike for the Premier League anthem. It just doesn’t sound very good does it (I’m certain that’s why they are booing).

We are now just a matter of moments from kick-off, anticipation is now at its peak!

Right, there is a late substitution!

Ryan Walker, who has done a sterling job, has now had to dash, and I Harry Bamforth will be leading the coverage.

This match now feels more pressurised than before after Arsenal’s huge win at Spurs.

The teams are now coming out at the City Ground to a very noisy reception.

There is something telling about the importance of Phil Foden to this Manchester City side. The Englishman has been the club’s best player this season but is a surprise omission from today’s matchday squad.

Foden has starred with 24 goals in all competitions but has been ruled out of today’s clash through illness.

Can City cope without him?

Anthony Elanga is probably better known by Premier League fans for Nottingham Forest after becoming a regular starter at the club this season, but the former Manchester United man will want to prove a point against his boyhood team’s rivals.

Coincidentally, Elanga was scouted by City as a child but opted to join the red half of Manchester and later went on to score four goals in 55 appearances for the Old Trafford club.

He’s just one of Forest’s dangermen and City will be wary of his pace on the counter-attack.

Victory for Arsenal moves the Gunners four points clear at the top of the table and the need for City to get three points today has just gone up tenfold.

Arsenal are showing no signs of the slip-up that practically gift-wrapped City the title last season and anything but three points for today’s visitors at the City Ground would spell disaster.

Over to you Pep Guardiola.

The full-time whistle has just blown in London and Arsenal have held on to seal a 3-2 derby victory over Tottenham.

Mikel Arteta’s side are now four points clear at the top of the table, with City aiming to bring the gap down to one here at the City Ground.

You can follow post-match reaction from Arsenal’s victory below.

Today isn’t just a huge match in terms of the Premier League title race, but it’s also Pep Guardiola’s 300th game in charge of Manchester City.

The Spaniard moved to Manchester in 2016 and since then has delivered five Premier League titles, the club’s first Champions League and multiple domestic honours in the FA and League Cups.

Will he be lifting another top-flight crown in a few weeks time?

It’s a strong City team that start today’s clash – as if there is any such thing as a weak one – but the surprise omission from the line-up is Erling Haaland.

Julian Alvarez has been given the nod over the Norwegian, but you expect to see Haaland at some point!

Here’s how Forest shape up today as they welcome the champions to the City Ground. Whether City will be calling themselves that next season is an altogether different subject.

Forest XI: Sels, Williams, Gibbs-White (C), Wood, Hudson-Odoi, Niakhate, Elanga, Danilo, Boly, Murillo, Aina.

Man City players have just departed the bus at the City Ground after making the relatively short trip from the north west.

There’s determined faces on the faces of the reigning Premier League champions and this time of the season is when Pep Guardiola’s side usually produce their best performances.

We’ll discuss the importance of what today means for Man City shortly, but for today’s hosts this could be the day they take a massive step towards securing their Premier League status for another season.

Forest are currently just one above Luton who occupy the final place in the drop zone and a win today would move them out of touching distance regardless of if the Hatters pick up a win in their final fixtures.

A draw would somewhat help their cause but a win is the real necessity.

It’s currently half-time in the ongoing Premier League derby clash between Tottenham and Arsenal with Mikel Arteta’s title-chasers leading 3-0 at the home of their rivals.

You can follow every moment of second-half action from that match below.

Hello and thanks for joining us for the final Premier League clash of the weekend as Manchester City make the short trip to the City Ground where Nottingham Forest await.

Three points are a necessity for both teams for entirely different reasons as City look to close in on a fourth consecutive Premier League title and Forest aim to increase the distance between them and the drop zone.

Kick off is at 4.30pm and we have plenty to cover before then!