Liam Delap scores twice as Nottingham Forest beat Manchester City
Liam Delap scored twice as Nottingham Forest beat Manchester City at the City Ground on Saturday. It was City's third straight Premier League defeat.
The match was the tenth round of fixtures in the Premier League, England's top division, and kicked off at 17:30 UK time. Delap is a striker, the forward whose main job is to get into the right spaces and finish chances. On this evening, he did that twice, and the BBC's player ratings, which mark each player out of 10, gave him a 9.
Forest's defence also drew praise. Jair Cunha was rated 8 out of 10. Elliot Anderson, the midfielder who scored a late equaliser against City back in March, was rated 5.
City had their moments too. Rayan Cherki scored their goal in the second half and was rated 6 by the BBC. Erling Haaland, the City striker, was rated 5. Gianluigi Donnarumma, City's goalkeeper, got a 4 for his evening.
Forest came into the game still looking for their first home win of the season, according to the club's own preview. This result changes that. It also changes how the two sides' recent meetings look. City won 2-1 at Forest in December 2025, when Cherki scored, and the teams drew 2-2 in March, with Anderson's late goal rescuing a point for the home side.
For City, three defeats in a row is a poor run for a side that expects to be in the hunt for the top places. Football fans know that a run like this can be broken quickly, but it can also start to weigh on confidence if it goes on.
For Forest, the win is a big moment for a club that has been fighting to find its feet. A striker scoring twice against one of the strongest teams in the country gives a home crowd something to remember. Delap's name will be on the team sheet for the next match, and the question now is whether his form can carry on.
If you are new to the Premier League, the key thing to know is that every team plays every other team at home and away. Each win is worth three points, a draw is worth one, and the table is built from those points. A result like this one moves both clubs in that table, even if it is only one match.
