Rayan Cherki delivered the decisive moment at the City Ground as Manchester City beat Nottingham Forest 2-1, moved top of the Premier League, and extended a strong winning run, yet Cherki stressed City would treat the title race carefully and continue to focus on each match in turn.
The visitors struck first shortly after half-time when Cherki unlocked the Forest defence with a disguised reverse pass into the penalty area, allowing Tijjani Reijnders to score in the 48th minute, but Forest replied quickly with a sweeping counter-attack that exposed City in transition and briefly changed the momentum of the contest.
That equaliser arrived six minutes later as Omari Hutchinson finished a fast move by guiding a first-time effort beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma,
giving the City goalkeeper little chance and lifting the home support, yet the match eventually swung back towards Manchester City as the visitors kept probing for a late winner.
City finally restored their advantage on 83 minutes when Josko Gvardiol met a cross with a firm header inside the area, knocking the ball down for Cherki, who reacted sharply and drilled a right-footed shot into the bottom-left corner, a strike that settled the match and briefly silenced the Forest crowd.
The victory meant Manchester City recorded six straight Premier League wins within a single season, something not achieved since the club closed the 2023-24 campaign with nine consecutive league victories, underlining strong current form while also placing City in a strong position near the top of the table.
Opta’s supercomputer reflected that position before Arsenal’s meeting with Brighton, giving City a 29.3% probability of winning the Premier League title in its simulations, a figure bettered only by Arsenal’s 64.2%, indicating a projected two-team race while still leaving space for shifts across the remaining fixtures.
Cherki still kept attention on short-term targets, already looking towards Manchester City’s next assignment away to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on 1 January, a meeting with a high-flying side that is expected to provide another demanding test as City attempt to maintain pressure at the top.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Cherki underlined that approach. "When the games come we need just one thing, and that isto win. We take the points because the championship is so long and so hard, so today is a big win," Cherki told TNT Sports. "The next game is very important for us and we are ready. "
Cherki later highlighted how demanding the contest felt. "It's good for the team because the game was not simple," Cherki added. "I am very proud of the team because the championship is so long and the win is for them, so we need to enjoy it. "
The match also continued an impressive spell for Tijjani Reijnders, who has now scored in back-to-back Premier League appearances, the first time Reijnders achieved consecutive league goals since the period between January and February of the previous season, when Reijnders struck for AC Milan against Parma and Inter.
Reijnders described the challenge at the City Ground and praised Nottingham Forest’s approach. "We know a lot of clubs suffer here. From what I heard, Nottingham Forest at home is always difficult, and yes [it's true] I felt it as well," Reijnders said. "It's a very important win, and we are on the hunt. They made the spaces really tight, so it was very difficult to find the free man in between the lines. In the second half, we made some changes to the formation, and we could find the free man more often. "
The result left Manchester City in a strong position in the Premier League table, carrying momentum from a six-match winning streak, with Cherki and Reijnders both influential, while the squad now turns attention to managing a demanding schedule and preserving consistency in the chase behind Arsenal’s current statistical advantage.
