Match Report & Player Ratings: Manchester City 2-2 Nottingham For… — and more

Manchester City’s fight in the Premier League title race may not be over, but a hugely damaging draw to 17th-placed Nottingham Forest effectively handed Arsenal the title with Pep Guardiola’s now seven points behind the Gunners with nine games to go. 

On the night, Arsenal had come out winners against Brighton and Hove Albion and City simultaneously needed a victory to keep up the chase, which they were well on their way to doing when Antoine Semenyo opened the scoring inside 31 minutes. 

But even after Rodri provided a second-half lead following Morgan Gibbs-White’s equaliser on 56 minutes, Elliot Anderson dealt a disappointing blow to the Citizens with a wonderful effort from 24 yards out. 

What followed were late efforts from City, where Anderson nearly gave away a penalty after 93 minutes before Semenyo forced Selz into a heroic save with less than a minute remaining. The action continued until the very last kick of the game, where Murillo denied Savinho off the line to share the points.

Guardiola’s pre-match injury concerns were at least half-resolved as Erling Haaland, who was absent in the visit to Elland Road on Saturday, returned to the line-up, though Nico O’Reilly was ruled out after coming off in that game after 70 minutes with an ankle problem.

Still, Haaland’s presence was a huge boost for the home side who, against Leeds United, showed a rather large over-reliance on Antoine Semenyo, who scored the only goal in that narrow victory last weekend before opening the scoring here. 

Surprisingly, it was Vitor Pereira’s men who got off to a more lively start however when Elliot Anderson – the £100 million midfielder who has frequently drawn interest from Guardiola – and Gibbs-White had efforts blocked and saved respectively inside the opening two minutes.

And it wasn’t until the seventh minute until City really got kicking, particularly when Semenyo unleashed a devastatingly powerful hit with his left that clattered into the side netting of Matz Selz’s net. 

When the ball kicked up just under 12 minutes later, Haaland picked it out of the air and it eventually fell into the feet of Bernardo Silva, whose first strike was saved by Selz before Nikola Milenkovic proved brave enough to throw his head in front of another from just outside the box. 

The first blow for Forest came when the game was 31 minutes old, with Semenyo getting on the end of an inviting cross from Rayan Cherki, who scored the winner in the reverse fixture in December. Semenyo, now on seven goals for the season, finished well with his first touch from 10 yards. 

Following the opener, the most promising chance to extend the lead came a matter of seconds before the interval when Semenyo pierced the six-yard box with a low pass across the face of goal; Ruben Dias and Haaland both committed but came up too short with only the slightest of touches needed for a second.

Earlier, a tussle between Haaland and Milenkovic preceded a glaring chance for Gibbs-White where, after receiving the ball from Nicolas Dominguez on the left side of the box, he dispatched his attempt with too much delicacy and too little strength. 

But it was the Forest talisman’s next touch that would ignite the corner of the Etihad, after back-heeling Igor Jesus’ headed pull-back through Rodri’s legs and into the bottom corner of Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal to equalise. 

Of course, following Rodri’s equaliser it was City’s game to win and the advantage could have been extended through a penalty when Haaland was taken down by Selz inside the area but a VAR check deemed the on-field decision of no foul as correct. 

And in time that eventually came back to bite City when Gibbs-White fizzed a pass across the pitch to Anderson before the England international exchanged passes with Callum Hudson-Odoi from 24 yards. An unforgivable strike followed that glided into the far corner past Donnarumma. 

Here’s how we rated the Manchester City players from their draw against Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium. 

Player Ratings

Starting XI

Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6

Made a strong stop towards the end of the first half and did a good job in stopping even the tamest of efforts from the first half before disaster struck. Needs to do better with both goals. 

Matheus Nunes – 5.5

Started, like every City player, adequately but dropped in performance until the last minute. Should have been stronger down the right but no individual performance was horrible. 

Ruben Dias – 5.5

Led the line with Guehi well once again but a strong structure was thrown out of the window for their first. The second was down to great skill from Anderson, which couldn’t really have been prevented from a centre-back standpoint. 

Marc Guehi – 6

A good performance once again all things considered. He was the deepest player for the majority but struggled to contain Forests’ counter-attacking ability. Needs to be more urgent on strikes like Anderson’s. 

Rayan Ait-Nouri – 5.5

A lot of the football was played down the right of the pitch which gave Ait-Nouri less to do, though he would often drift inside and play in a more central role when City were in possession. Not amazing but certainly didn’t do tons wrong.

Rodri – 7

Navigated transitions from deep and pushed up when it was needed to pin Forest back. Dictated play and worked in unison with Guehi and Dias at the back, playing calm yet effective passes from all areas of the pitch. 

Phil Foden – 5

Impacted the game and looked free in the middle. Hasn’t impressed in many games this season but was clearly enjoying himself out there early on Wednesday. Him and Cherki inside looked a remarkable partnership in the first half but his creation wasn’t there. 

Bernardo Silva – 6

Seemed to be shooting more here than in previous games which was refreshing to see. And some troubling strikes for the Forest defence and goalkeeper, particularly in the 49th minute when dribbling around Anderson and Williams.

Rayan Cherki – 7

Moved well in and around the Forest midfield and defence, and caused a lot of problems in the 82 minutes that he played. Admittedly, he could have created more but that comes with the help of his teammates, all of which underperformed here. 

Erling Haaland – 5

An exciting return but one that really didn’t bring much. His ‘new’ roaming role under Guardiola is helpful on set-pieces but has hit his offensive game quite hard granted he is at an all-time scoring low from his years at City so far. 

Antoine Semenyo – 7

Are there any words to sum up Semenyo at the moment? Another game and another goal for the attacker, who appeared to be just as crucial here as he was against Leeds United last weekend. A great individual performance that was hurt by dropped points. 

Substitutes

Jeremy Doku – 5

Lost the ball horribly before showing the determination to win the ball back in the last moments, but did little else to motivate a winner.  

Abdukodir Khusanov – 5

Was strong after coming on, but wasn’t really tested given City’s onslaught resumed for a winner very late on. 

Savinho – 5

Came on after 82 minutes, nearly scored the winner with the last kick of the game but was denied by Murillo unfortunately. 

João Pedro's treble propelled Chelsea to a crucial 4-1 victory over Aston Villa, lifting them above Liverpool into fifth place in the Premier League. The Brazilian striker now has 14 league goals this season and is strongly in contention for Brazil's World Cup squad.

Elsewhere, Fulham's Sander Berge and Oscar Bobb suffered a 0-1 defeat to West Ham, with Crysencio Summerville scoring the only goal. The result leaves West Ham below the relegation zone with nine games remaining.

Lou Holtz's best quotes: The 8 most memorable soundbites from legendary coaching and broadcasting career originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

For over half a century, Lou Holtz served as the philosopher-king of college football, blending a self-deprecating wit with the hard-nosed discipline of a Hall of Fame coach.

Whether leading the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to a national championship or entertaining millions on ESPN’s College GameDay, Holtz possessed a singular gift for the "Holtz-ism"—short, punchy adages that could inspire a locker room or leave an audience in stitches. From his musings on "Trust, Commitment, and Love" to his blunt assessments of his own abilities, his voice became as fundamental to the sport’s fabric as the triple option.

The late Holtz famously noted that "nothing is as good as it seems and nothing is as bad as it seems," a grounded perspective that guided him through the pressures of coaching at six major universities. He had a rare ability to distill complex life lessons into simple, memorable soundbites that transcended the gridiron. Even as he faced his final days in hospice care at age 89, the outpouring of support from the football community reflected the profound impact of his teaching.

Looking back at his most enduring words, it is clear that while many coaches can teach the X’s and O’s, very few could speak to the human spirit with the humor and heart of Lou Holtz. He leaves behind a legacy defined not just by wins and losses, but by the "significance" he found in helping others succeed.

Here are some of his best quotes

MORE: Lou Holtz's love for Notre Dame was only eclipsed by his in-game dominance

Lou Holtz best quotes

"Trust, Commitment, and Love"

When a statue of Holtz was unveiled at Notre Dame Stadium in 2008, these were the three words his former players chose to engrave on the pedestal. Holtz taught that any team's success was based on three questions: "Can I trust you? Are you committed to excellence? And do you care about me?" He argued that if a team could answer "yes" to all three, they were unbeatable.

"I don't want to do this anymore"

On November 19, 1996, Holtz stunned the sports world by announcing his resignation from Notre Dame while still in the prime of his career. When pressed by reporters for a complex reason — such as health issues, friction with the administration, or a move to the NFL — Holtz offered a jarringly honest five-word explanation:

Our favorite Lou Holtz memory: 🥹 pic.twitter.com/vLIlQbSJs8

— College Sports Only (@CSOonX) January 30, 2026

"Never tell your problems to anyone"

This is one of Holtz's most famous "tough love" adages. He included it in his book Winning Every Day: The Game Plan for Success to emphasize self-reliance. It was a staple of his pre-game speeches, used to remind players that the world—and their opponents—won't offer them any sympathy on the field.

"No one has ever drowned in sweat"

This punchy one-liner was Holtz’s ultimate rebuttal to players complaining about the intensity of his practices.

He used it to shift the perspective on physical exertion, teaching his teams that while the "grind" of two-a-days and conditioning felt overwhelming, it was actually the only safe path to victory. He often paired this with the idea that "winners embrace hard work while losers see it as punishment."

MORE: A history of Lee Corso's College Gameday hadgear picks

"Who would you be rooting for?

In a 2025 presser before the Irish played Arkansas in football, Holtz was asked by reporters whether he would root for the Hogs or Notre Dame, two places he coached.

Legendary HC Lou Holtz was asked who he would be rooting for, #Arkansas or #NotreDame?

“Let me put it like this. They fired you at one school. They built you a statue at the other. Who do you think you would cheer for?” 😂

He’s today’s honorary captain. #WPS#GoIrish ☘️ pic.twitter.com/25bIoab2VZ

— Josh Berrian (@_joshonair) September 27, 2025

"I'm so old, I don't buy green bananas anymore" 

As Holtz transitioned from the sidelines to the broadcast booth, he leaned heavily into self-deprecating humor regarding his age.

He used this line frequently on "College GameDay" to poke fun at his own mortality, always delivered with his trademark lisp and a mischievous grin that reminded fans not to take life too seriously.

"God did not put Lou Holtz on this earth to coach in the pros"

After a disastrous 13-game stint with the New York Jets in 1976, Holtz famously quipped this line to explain his return to the college ranks. It became his go-to way of admitting that his motivational style was perfectly suited for molding young men but fell flat in the business-first environment of the NFL.

"I follow three rules: Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care"

If you ever asked Lou Holtz for his "secret sauce," he would inevitably point back to these three rules. He claimed that if a coach or leader lived by these three simple tenets, they would never have to worry about their reputation or their results because the "Trust, Commitment, and Love" would naturally follow.

The United States women face their toughest test of the 2026 SheBelieves Cup as they match up against 10th-ranked Canada in Nashville on Wednesday evening.

Lou Holtz, one of the most revered coaches in the history of college football, has died at the age of 89. He had entered hospice care in January, shortly after his birthday.

Holtz, whose affable personality helped him build a successful broadcasting career after his retirement from coaching, led Notre Dame to a national championship in 1988. He also had a successful career at Arkansas, where he went 11-1 in his debut season in 1977, upsetting Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

Holtz was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and finished with a career coaching record of 249–132–7. He also had a brief but unsuccessful NFL career, lasting just one season as the New York Jets coach in 1976, finishing with a 3-10 record. “God did not put Lou Holtz on this earth to coach in the pros,” he said after handing in his resignation to the Jets.

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