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Manchester City winger Rayan Cherki played a decisive role as the club climbed to the top of the Premier League with a hard-earned 2-1 victory away to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The French midfielder produced a standout performance at the City Ground, providing the assist for Tijjani Reijnders’ opener before scoring the late winner himself to secure all three points for Pep Guardiola’s side.
City were briefly pegged back after Omari Hutchinson scored his first goal for Forest, but Cherki ensured City emerged victorious.
The result extended City’s winning run to eight matches in all competitions, including six successive league victories.
Before kick-off, Forest paid tribute to club legend John Robertson, the former Scotland winger who passed away on Christmas Day aged 72.
Robertson was a key figure in Forest’s European Cup triumphs in 1979 and 1980, remembered for his dribbling ability and eye for goal — qualities mirrored by Cherki, who continues to grow in influence following his summer move from Lyon.
Guardiola had taken a firm stance over the festive period, warning his players that any lack of professionalism over Christmas would result in exclusion from the squad.
He even cancelled a planned rest day after last weekend’s win over West Ham to reinforce his message.
Asked whether his players had followed instructions after naming an unchanged line-up, Guardiola joked, “Only the manager is overweight—the rest are perfect!”
Despite the humour, City struggled to impose themselves in a sluggish first half. On a cold afternoon beside the River Trent, Forest looked dangerous and could have gone ahead when Morgan Gibbs-White narrowly missed Callum Hudson-Odoi’s cross.
Forest, who beat City at the same venue in March under then-manager Nuno Espirito Santo, once again disrupted Guardiola’s side with an aggressive and organised approach. Even Erling Haaland, who now has 19 league goals before Christmas — a joint Premier League-era record — was largely kept quiet.
City finally found their breakthrough shortly after the interval with their first effort on target. Cherki drifted inside and slipped a disguised pass into the path of Reijnders, who calmly guided his finish past goalkeeper John Victor from inside the area.
Cherki remained City’s most dangerous outlet and almost doubled the lead moments later, forcing Victor into a sharp save at his near post.
However, Forest responded in the 54th minute when Reijnders lost possession deep in his own half. Igor Jesus delivered a low cross that Hutchinson converted from close range to level the score.
Forest pushed for a second, with Neco Williams’ curling effort tipped away by Gianluigi Donnarumma before Nicolo Savona blazed the rebound over the bar from a promising position.
As City began to creak, it was Cherki who provided the decisive moment. In the 83rd minute, the ball broke kindly for the 22-year-old just inside the penalty area, and he lashed an emphatic finish past Victor, sealing the win before celebrating with Erling Haaland’s trademark zen pose in front of the travelling supporters.
If City go on to edge Arsenal in the title race, Cherki’s growing influence could prove pivotal in the months ahead.
