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Rayan Cherki’s Late Strike Sends Manchester City Back to Premier League Summit

Posted : 27 December 2025

Rayan Cherki secured a dramatic late winner to lift Manchester City back to the top of the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Nottingham Forest. The hosts had threatened to derail City’s title charge after Omari Hutchinson equalised following Tijjani Reijnders’ second-half opener.

Cherki’s decisive goal in the 83rd minute extended City’s winning run to eight consecutive matches across all competitions. For Forest, who had paid a touching tribute to club legend John Robertson before the game, the defeat was particularly hard to swallow, marking back-to-back losses under Sean Dyche for the first time since he took over.

Forest resisted City in the first half, with standout performances from Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic. However, their defensive resilience was broken three minutes into the second half when Reijnders found the net past goalkeeper John Victor. The visitors were quick to respond as a turnover by Reijnders allowed Morgan Gibbs-White to set up Igor Jesus, who assisted Hutchinson for his first goal for the club.

City came close to regaining the lead before Cherki’s strike, as John Victor deflected a shot onto the post and later made a smart save to deny Phil Foden. Yet, Cherki’s low drive from the edge of the box proved unstoppable, sealing the win for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Despite the loss, Dyche’s Forest showed encouraging signs of progress following a turbulent start to the season. The team has demonstrated greater stability in recent weeks, winning seven of their 14 matches under Dyche, though they remain 17th in the league and must guard against consecutive defeats becoming a pattern.

For Manchester City, the win highlighted a blend of skill, determination, and mental toughness. Guardiola praised his squad for rediscovering the focus and resilience that could prove decisive in the title race. The victory also allowed City to close the gap on Arsenal, applying pressure on their rivals as the season enters its crucial final stretch.

Looking ahead, Forest will host Everton before traveling to Aston Villa, while Manchester City faces Sunderland on New Year’s Day and Chelsea shortly after.

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