Nottingham Forest suffered a painful 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at the City Ground, with Sean Dyche furious about the VAR decision that allowed Rayan Cherki’s late winner to stand. Dyche argued that a clear foul on Morgan Gibbs-White in the six-yard box was ignored.
City had already gone ahead early in the second half through Tijjani Reijnders, before Omari Hutchinson finished a flowing Forest move to level. Cherki then struck in the 83rd minute after a corner was kept alive by Josko Gvardiol, leaving Dyche questioning both the on-field officials and VAR.
The decisive moment came from that 83rd-minute corner, when Gvardiol’s knockdown fell to Cherki, who drove a low shot beyond John Victor into the bottom-left corner. Dyche felt Gibbs-White
was pushed by Nico O’Reilly in the build-up and could not understand why VAR did not intervene.
Dyche detailed Forest’s display with clear frustration at the officiating. "We certainly don't lack pride or optimism, but I know what you mean, it [the performance] reinforces the good work the players are doing. I thought we were terrific," Dyche said. "The goals we can pick the bones out of it, but how we don't get the referee today. I'm lost for words. VAR and all this we keep seeing from corners, and then our player gets thrown to the floor. We know there's no intention for them to head the ball, he just pushes him [Gibbs-White] to the floor. You can't do that. "
The defeat continued a worrying pattern for Forest since returning to the Premier League in 2022-23. They have now let in 53 goals in the final 15 minutes of league matches, more than any other side in that period, underlining their struggles in closing out games.
It was also the first time Dyche had lost consecutive Premier League fixtures as Forest head coach since replacing Ange Postecoglou in October. The result extended Dyche’s winless record against Pep Guardiola in the top flight to 17 matches, with two draws and 15 defeats, matching Steve Bruce’s run against Alex Ferguson.
Dyche’s anger focused heavily on the decision-making around Manchester City’s second goal. "The officials had a massive part to play today, and they didn't do their job," a disgruntled Dyche added on City’s second goal. "I've already messaged to ask for a report on the VAR because I find it impossible that the one on Morgan Gibbs-White is not considered a foul. "
The sense of injustice was shared among Forest supporters, who had seen their team compete strongly for long spells. The club’s official account posted the final whistle reaction on social media as the players left the pitch following Cherki’s decisive strike.
Full-time. pic.twitter.com/w4eaMve2AaNottingham Forest (@NFFC) December 27, 2025
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City VAR focus and Igor Jesus battles
Despite the result, Dyche praised Igor Jesus for a tireless performance against Manchester City’s defence. Jesus contested 16 duels, the most of any Forest player, and shared the highest total for aerial duels won, finishing level on eight with City midfielder Nico O’Reilly.
Dyche believed Manchester City should have finished with fewer players on the pitch, singling out Gvardiol and Ruben Dias. "Igor was terrific. I couldn't believe how their centre-half stayed on the pitch. He boots the ball away and then goes down with a head injury, bizarrely," Dyche said. "The referee gave nothing. The second player brings Igor down early in the second half. That's the gripe of the game, unfortunately. I try not to speak about officials. They do a good job on the whole but today was a bad day at the office. "
Key match figures underlined both Forest’s competitiveness and their late collapse, while also highlighting Dyche’s ongoing struggle against Guardiola-coached teams.
Dyche stressed that Forest’s attitude remained strong despite the setback. The head coach felt the overall display showed progress, even if the final score again punished Forest in the closing stages. The frustration centred on decisions that Dyche believed undermined the work put in across most of the contest.
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City VAR debate and Chris Wood injury
The Manchester City match also came against the backdrop of significant injury news for Forest. Striker Chris Wood, who has not played since suffering a knee problem in October, confirmed before kick-off that surgery was required, ruling Wood out for an extended spell.
Wood’s absence is a major setback given last season’s output. The forward scored 20 Premier League goals in the previous campaign, helping Forest secure Europa League qualification. In that scoring chart, Wood trailed only Erling Haaland on 22, Alexander Isak on 23 and Mohamed Salah on 29 league goals.
Wood shared the update and personal feelings in a detailed Instagram post. "The Christmas I didn't expect, you can never know what football throws at you," Wood wrote on Instagram. "From the highs of last season to now the battles and the lows personally of this season. You have to be ready for anything. Truly gutting and frustrating that I'll be on the sideline for another period of time. It's what's needed to come back stronger and better to help my team-mates do the job needed in the Premier League and in Europe. "
The combination of late goals conceded, a controversial VAR call against Manchester City and Wood’s injury leaves Nottingham Forest facing a demanding spell. Dyche will look to build on Igor Jesus’ promising display in attack, while seeking more resilience in closing stages and greater clarity from officials in future Premier League fixtures.
