Manchester City made it six wins from six in the 2023-24 Premier League season with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the Etihad, despite losing Rodri to a straight red card early in the second half.
Strikes from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland within the first 15 minutes proved decisive, but Pep Guardiola’s side had to see out most of the second half with 10 men as Rodri was made to take the walk of shame for violent conduct against Morgan Gibbs-White.
It was not for the want of trying from Steve Cooper’s team, but they just could not penetrate a well-drilled Citizens backline, even with the extra man on their side.
A full debut came the way of summer signing Matheus Nunes for the treble winners, who also had Jack Grealish back on the bench following an injury layoff, while debutant Nicolas Dominguez was one of five changes for Forest.
Cooper’s side unsurprisingly had their backs against the wall early doors, but their resistance was broken with just seven minutes gone, as Rodri picked out the run of Kyle Walker with a sublime long ball, and the Englishman cut back for compatriot Foden to find the bottom corner with a venomous left-footed half-volley.
Guardiola’s men were in a particularly merciless mood at the Etihad, and it took the hosts just another seven minutes to double their tally, with Foden involved once again as he slipped in a perfectly-weighted ball down the right for Nunes.
The Portuguese got to the byline inside the box and clipped an inviting ball in for an unmarked Haaland, who punished Forest’s lackadaisical defending with a bullet header into the side of the net.
A muscular problem for Arsenal loanee Nuno Tavares added injury to insult for a beleaguered Forest, as Gonzalo Montiel came on for the wing-back in the 35th minute, but the visitors got to half time with just a two-goal deficit, thanks in no small part to a pair of interventions from Matt Turner and Willy Boly to thwart the bright Julian Alvarez.
A customary second-half stroll would seemingly be on the cards for the hosts, but as fans were returning from their half-time refreshments, they were shocked to learn that Rodri had been given his marching orders within a minute of the restart.
The Spaniard and Gibbs-White squared up to one another during a corner-flag skirmish, and the former inexcusably placed his hands around the Forest attacker’s neck – causing Gibbs-White to fall to the turf in highly theatrical fashion and leading Anthony Taylor to brandish the red card, meaning that Rodri will sit out his side’s blockbuster clash with Arsenal next month.
Sensing an opportunity to pull off an unfancied comeback, Forest asked several questions of the Man City backline, and tempers also flared during a set-to between Ederson and Taiwo Awoniyi, but neither player channelled their inner Rodri and got off with a yellow card apiece.
Despite Forest’s improvement in the second half, Ederson remained untroubled in the City goal, but he was belatedly tested by Anthony Elanga and Boly deep into added time, saving well on both occasions to preserve his side’s clean sheet.
Guardiola’s men have temporarily extended their lead at the top of the table to five points, while Forest have dropped to 10th owing to Fulham and Crystal Palace’s goalless stalemate.
A trip to Newcastle United for Wednesday’s EFL Cup clash is next up for the Citizens, while Forest – who went out in the second round of that competition – have a week to recuperate before hosting Brentford on October 1.
