Hudson-Odoi floors Manchester City as Forest land Champions League blow | Premier League

Can we just hear it for Nottingham Forest please? Sure, Manchester City continued their plummet from Premier League champions to scrambling to qualify for the Champions League, but the achievements of Nuno Espiríto Santo’s team deserve full recognition.

Callum Hudson-Odoi scored the winning goal seven minutes from time to enhance Forest’s hold on third place, four points clear of City, as the team who finished 17th at the end of last season deservedly overcame the side who were claiming their fourth successive title back then.

Pep Guardiola’s team have gained only one point from a possible 24 in their last eight games against teams starting the day in the top four. But they were outfoxed by a Forest side who, having held Arsenal here 10 days ago, came out of their counterattacking shell in the second half to extend their unbeaten home run to eight games. They have only lost twice here all season. Forest deserve to be where they are.

As for the goal … the cross-field pass from Gibbs-White to the winger was a thing of beauty. Thomas Tuchel has already been visiting the City Ground to view his talents but this had the feeling of a season-defining moment. The Forest captain knew exactly what he wanted to do when turning on to the ball to the left of the centre circle. But knowing and doing are not always interchangeable.

Gibbs-White looked up and dispatched a switch of consummate accuracy. On the opposite wing, Hudson-Odoi simply had to trap the ball on the bounce and then go at Josko Gvardiol with purpose. Making to step inside, he stayed out and, well into the penalty area, side-footed a shot inside Ederson’s near post. Cue bedlam. It wouldn’t be the greatest surprise if Hudson-Odoi joined Gibbs-White in the forthcoming England squad.

Guardiola had by this stage told Jack Grealish to get warmed up and to sit down again. Should Chelsea beat Leicester on Sunday, City will be fifth after five defeats from their last nine games.

Forest, unchanged from the side that held Arsenal goalless here 10 days ago, were content to sit and defend in a low block, with Gibbs-White playing in a midfield three rather than his customary No 10 role. Indeed Chris Wood, the Forest centre-forward, had come so deep early on that when he was caught dallying near his own penalty area, Erling Haaland was able to dispatch a right-footed shot just wide.

Forest did not give much else away in a cagey first half in which City saw twice as much of the ball. The teams were united in the third minute when chants of “Psycho” rang around the whole stadium in wishing good health to Stuart Pearce, the legendary Forest left-back who played and managed both these clubs and is recovering after being taken ill on a flight back from Las Vegas.

Two minutes before half-time, Wood got away at his preferred end but, at a tight angle and from 25 yards, his attempted lob over Ederson was saved with some ease. Still, the half-time whistle was met with hearty applause from the home supporters still dreaming of qualifying for the Champions League.

With five English places almost certainly available for Europe’s premier competition, Forest fans would no longer settle for the Europa League or. the Conference qualification which could fall to the team finishing eighth or ninth, depending on who wins the various cups.

Nuno is seldom unhappy with a goalless first half as it allows his team’s counterattacking capabilities to come to the fore. Sure enough, as the game opened up after the interval, the City Ground came to life, with Forest’s hopes and tails up.

Nicolás Domínguez almost unleashed his inner Marco van Basten with a volley from an acute angle to the right of goal, from Anthony Elanga’s cross. If Ederson saved that effort comfortably enough, the City goalkeeper produced a brilliant moment to tip Hudson-Odoi’s shot on to a post when the first goal looked on.

Guardiola had been doing his best Basil Fawlty impression as Hudson-Odoi sprinted away, the left-winger racing from his own half and into the City area before cutting back inside on to his right foot. But if the City manager was jumping up and down on the spot, throwing his outstretched fingers to his pate, at that calumny, then he was ready to drink in the last-chance saloon when Hudson-Odoi broke the deadlock seven minutes from time.