Manchester City keep heat up on leaders Arsenal with win over Forest

Victory leaves them a point behind Mikel Arteta’s side with a game in hand and ensured Pep Guardiola’s 300th Premier League match in charge of City ended in success

Manchester City reeled Premier League leaders Arsenal back in with a 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest as the title race heads towards a thrilling finale.

The Gunners moved four points clear when they beat Tottenham in a frantic north London derby earlier on Sunday, but City immediately responded thanks to goals from Josko Gvardiol and Erling Haaland at the City Ground.

Victory leaves them a point behind Mikel Arteta’s side with a game in hand and ensured Pep Guardiola’s 300th Premier League match in charge of City ended in success.

It is now 19 league games unbeaten as they perform their perennial trick of coming good just when it matters the most and they know they will be champions for a fourth successive year if they win their remaining four games.

Missing Phil Foden through illness, City were far from their best as Forest, fighting for their lives at the other end of the table, gave them an almighty scare, but could not convert several golden chances.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side remain in the relegation mire, sitting one point above 18th-placed Luton, though they will hope to recover at least one point from their appeal against the deduction for breaking Premier League financial rules.

The roof would have come off the City Ground had Neco Williams converted a presentable chance after just 24 seconds, but the Wales international could not make proper contact with Ola Aina’s cross at the far post.

They could have done with that going in as City soon took control, with Kevin De Bruyne forcing a good save out of Matz Sels and Jeremy Doku drilling wide.

Forest’s main weakness this season has been defending set-pieces and they conceded for a 23rd time in the 32nd minute.

Gvardiol ran across his marker to the near post and flashed his header past a helpless Selz.

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