It might be too early to start talking about an on-field crisis at Manchester City even though it fell to a third straight Premier League defeat. City coach Enzo Maresca was certainly not panicking.
After opening the campaign with seven wins in a row, City lost at struggler Nottingham Forest 3-1 to fall six points behind league leader Arsenal after the defending champion beat Hull 1-0.
Enzo Maresca. Pic/AFP
“We are conceding too many goals unfortunately and we need to improve that,” Maresca told the BBC.“Use the international break to understand why and try to avoid in the future. Always concerned but we need balance — seven wins in a row then three [defeats] in a row. Need the balance. No panic. We need to understand but no panic,” Maresca added.
Liam Delap, a City academy graduate, netted two goals for Forest – which had yet to score at home this season coming into the match.
It was only a second win of the season for Forest, which moved two points out of the relegation zone — with Manchester United taking its place in the bottom three ahead of Sunday’s match against Aston Villa.
Forest got off to a dream start. Jair Cunha caught City defender Josko Gvardiol in possession and he surged forward, finding a gap to slide the ball into the bottom left corner and give his team the lead in the sixth minute.
More defensive mishaps from City, which again lost the ball, allowed Delap to sprint from inside his own half and between two defenders before firing into the back of the net to double Forest’s advantage in the 18th.
City managed to get one back early in the second half. Jeremy Doku latched onto a long ball over the top on the left flank and his cross was deflected into the path of Rayan Cherki, who drove it into the top left corner.
City was pushing hard for the equalizer but Forest restored its two-goal advantage in the 74th, with Delap finishing off a rapid counterattack with a fine shot that went in off the inside of the far post.
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