According to Reuters, the defeat at the City Ground leaves City with 21 points from 10 matches, compared with Arsenal’s 27 points at the top of the standings.
The result follows previous league defeats against Aston Villa and Brighton, marking a difficult spell for manager Enzo Maresca’s side after they began the campaign with seven consecutive victories.
Nottingham Forest took control early in the match, with Jair Cunha opening the scoring in the sixth minute before Liam Delap doubled the home side’s advantage in the 18th minute.
City responded after the break when Rayan Cherki scored in the 52nd minute, raising hopes of a comeback.
However, Delap struck again in the 73rd minute to restore Forest’s two-goal advantage and secure all three points for the hosts.
According to match reports published by the Premier League, City’s defensive difficulties have contributed to their recent poor run, with the team conceding early goals in each of their last three league outings.
Speaking after the defeat, Maresca acknowledged his side’s shortcomings, saying they lacked intensity and lost too many individual battles during the opening half.
He also indicated that the international break would provide an opportunity to assess the team's performance and identify areas requiring improvement.
Meanwhile, Arsenal strengthened their position at the summit with a narrow 1-0 victory over Hull City on the same day. Martin Ødegard scored the decisive goal in the 72nd minute.
According to the Premier League standings published after the weekend's matches, Arsenal had collected 27 points from 10 games, while Manchester City remained on 21.
City will now look to regroup after the international break as they attempt to revive their title challenge and close the growing gap at the top of the table.https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Fa3SoEcmb/.
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