Rayan Cherki came up with the late winner as Pep Guardiola’s side moved top of the Premier League with a battling 2-1 win against a spirited Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
The French attacking midfielder drilled a fine finish into the net from Josko Gvardiol’s header on 83 minutes as the visitors celebrated a sixth straight win in the top flight and an eighth in all competitions.
After a frantic first half in which neither side could manage a shot on target, it was City who moved away when Cherki played in Tijjani Reijnders to wallop a low finish beyond home goalkeeper John Victor on 48 minutes.
But the lead lasted only six minutes as Omari Hutchinson swept home the equaliser on 54 minutes after being teed up by Igor Jesus with a telling cross from a superb team move.
City probably just about deserved the victory as they moved one point clear of Arsenal, who host Brighton at the Emirates later on Saturday.
But it hard not to feel for Sean Dyche’s Forest, who matched City for long spells of a frantic contest that came to life in a thrilling second half that could have gone either way.
