Man City Player Ratings vs. Nottingham Forest: Disastrous Stumble Gives Arsenal Upper Hand

Manchester City kicked off March with a shock 2–2 draw with Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night, snapping their six-game win streak.

The Cityzens fully controlled the game in the first half and took a well-earned 1–0 lead into halftime thanks to Antoine Semenyo’s opener in the 31st minute. Yet the game turned on its head in the second half when Morgan Gibbs-White sent a spectacular backheel into the back of the net to bring Forest level.

Rodri quelled the nerves radiating throughout the Etihad Stadium when he headed home the go-ahead goal just past the hour-mark. Except the hosts coughed up the lead again when England starter Elliot Anderson buried a brilliant strike in response.

There was not a winner to be had in the game from either side, and the points were shared by the time the final whistle sounded. Manchester City, who have a game in hand, now trail league-leaders Arsenal by seven points in the Premier League title race.

Heroes and Villains

Heroes

Much like at the weekend against Leeds United, it was Antoine Semenyo breaking the deadlock for Man City. Picked out by Rayan Cherki, the Ghana international, who was virtually unmarked just 10 yards out from goal, was free to guide the ball with the inside of his foot into the back of the net to get his side on the scoresheet.

The opener proved not enough to collect three points, though, after Nottingham Forest bagged an unexpected equalizer in the second half. Rodri then put on his cape and once again put the Cityzens in front. The Spaniard headed home the go-ahead goal just past the hour-mark.

Villains

Rúben Dias found himself with little to do for much of the game until a brilliant play from the visitors in transition. Suddenly, the Portugal international was called upon to lock down Morgan Gibbs-White just a few yards out from goal, but he left his legs alarmingly open, allowing the No. 10 to backheel an equalizer through the gap and into the back of the net.

Phil Foden then took his turn to become the villain on the night. Just when City had retaken control thanks to Rodri’s header, Foden got completely outclassed by a one-two from Anderson and Callum Hudson-Odoi in the build-up to Forest’s second goal. The England international was lackadaisical in his defensive efforts and then just simply stood and watched Anderson bury his strike.

Man City Player Ratings vs. Nottingham Forest (4-1-3-2)

Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo — Rayan Cherki (left) and Antoine Semenyo linked up for the game’s opener. | Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside/Getty Images

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma—5.7: Didn’t have to break a sweat in the first half, but was bested by a sensational finish by Gibbs-White and a long-range strike from Anderson.

RB: Matheus Nunes—6.7: Played tantalizing balls into the 18-yard box but lacked quality in the end to connect with his teammates.

CB: Rúben Dias—6.9: Had little more to do than just leisurely jog near the halfway line for much of the match. Got nutmegged by Gibbs-White to allow Forest back into the game.

CB: Marc Guéhi—6.9: Hardly put a foot wrong in defense, but it was his run forward in the build-up to the game’s opening goal that headlined his outing.

LB: Rayan Aït-Nouri—8.1: Failing to close down Ola Aina in the build-up to Forest’s goal momentarily marred an otherwise solid performance from the fullback. He redeemed himself by assisting Rodri’s goal.

DM: Rodri—8.3: His interventions were rarely needed in the opening 45 minutes, but he came alive when it mattered most to bag the go-ahead goal in the second half.

RM: Phil Foden—7.6: Made a mockery of in the build-up to Anderson’s equalizer. Looked uninterested in closing down his man and made his team pay for it.

AM: Bernardo Silva (c)—8.2: His lovely feet were on full display. Created space where there seemingly was none and had players in red chasing after his shadow, trying—and failing—to dispossess him.

LM: Rayan Cherki—8.2: Looked poised to create a dangerous chance every time he got on the ball. Set up Semenyo’s opener with a cheeky run inside the box that drew the attention of three defenders, none of which could stop his clinical pass to the striker.

ST: Erling Haaland—6.3: Showed flashes of danger, but was otherwise a spectator on the night. Seemed more interested in shamelessly trying to win penalties than scoring.

ST: Antoine Semenyo—7.9: Continued his scintillating form. Has now bagged seven goals since his January move to Manchester. Unlucky not to score in stoppage time.

SUB: Jérémy Doku (77’ for Foden)—6.7: Infused some pace down the left flank, but ultimately failed to make a difference in the end result.

SUB: Abdukodir Khusanov (77’ for Aït-Nouri)—6.1: Any defensive efforts from the fullback were not needed as Man City pushed for a winner.

SUB: Savinho (82’ for Cherki)—N/A

Subs not used: James Trafford (GK), John Stones, Nathan Aké, Nico González, Tijjani Reijnders, Omar Marmoush.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Antoine Semenyo was once again the X factor for Man City. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

If it wasn’t already obvious, the Cityzens have found the answer to their Erling Haaland dependency. In games where the No. 9 is ineffective or out, Antoine Semenyo is more than capable of finding timely goals when the team needs them most.
With a chance to impress in a rare Premier League start, Phil Foden wilted under the lights. The 25-year-old is likely on his way back to the bench after an outing that did little to help Man City win—and plenty to help the team drop points.
After a rather quiet February, Rayan Cherki looked back to his best on Wednesday, a great sign for a Man City team gearing up to face Real Madrid next week. Despite the big names up top, the Frenchman is the key to unlocking a stuck game.

The Numbers That Explain Man City’s Shock Draw

Pep Guardiola and his men were stunned on Wednesday night. | Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

Man City completed 92% of their passes, which in the end tallied to 713, nearly four-times the number of accurate passes Forest had. Yet once again, the Cityzens failed to make enough of their possession.
Forest created just two big chances on the night and buried both, surpassing their 0.97 xG.
The hosts settled for too many shots that did not truly test Matz Sels. Guardiola’s men only managed to put seven of their 21 shots on target.

Statistic	Man City	Nottingham Forest
Possession	70%	30%
Expected Goals (xG)	2.02	0.97
Total Shots	21	9
Shots on Target	7	4
Big Chances	5	2
Passing Accuracy	92%	82%
Fouls Committed	10	6
Corners	6	1