Rayan Cherki produced a moment of magic in the 83rd minute to secure Manchester City a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Nottingham Forest, temporarily sending Pep Guardiola's side to the top of the Premier League.
The Frenchman, who had earlier set up Tijjani Reijnders' opener, drilled a powerful finish through a crowded penalty area after meeting Joško Gvardiol's cushioned header from a corner routine. It was the kind of clinical finish that separates title contenders from pretenders.
A tale of two halves
The first 45 minutes offered little festive cheer, with neither side managing a single shot on target. Guardiola's players looked sluggish, prompting the Catalan to joke post-match about his Christmas diet policy: "Only the manager is overweight, the rest are perfect!"
City burst into life three minutes after the break when Cherki slipped a clever pass through to Reijnders, who swept a first-time finish past John Victor. But the lead lasted just six minutes before Omari Hutchinson swept home his first Forest goal after brilliant work from Igor Jesus.
Cherki: "The championship is so long"
"I'm very proud of the team because the game was not simple," Cherki said. "When you come here, you know Nottingham Forest is a big team with a lot of good players."
The 22-year-old revealed that Erling Haaland had given him a celebration to use before the match: "In the week I spoke to Erling and he said: 'When you score you do this celebration' so I did and I am so happy."
With seven Premier League assists this season—more than any other player—Cherki has become the creative heartbeat of City's title charge.
Emotional tribute to Robertson
Before kick-off, both clubs paid tribute to Forest legend John Robertson, who passed away on Christmas Day aged 72. The Scottish winger, a key figure in Brian Clough's European Cup-winning sides, was honoured with a minute's applause from fans who remembered his magic on this very pitch.
Title race implications
The victory extended City's winning run to eight matches in all competitions and six in the Premier League. Sean Dyche's record against Guardiola now reads 17 games without a win—equalling Steve Bruce's unwanted record against Sir Alex Ferguson.
City's three points were ultimately rendered temporary by Arsenal's later victory, but the message was clear: this title race will go to the wire.
