In the early morning of April 29, Beijing time, the 35th round of the English Premier League continued to start, Manchester City defeated Nottingham Forest 2-0 away, and continued to chase the leader Arsenal by 1 point with one less round. This victory not only set the tone for the team to compete for the title, but also gave the team a brief respite from winning.
In the ninth minute, Kevin De Bruyne attempted a precise pass, but was saved by Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Zeles.
Then, in the 13th minute, Rodri successfully counter-attacked in front, Alvarez crossed, and Doku made a slight adjustment on the edge of the penalty area and shot wide from a distance.
Nottingham Forest also showed their counter-attacking prowess in the 14th minute when Neco Williams fired a volley past Jack Grealish, but Ederson slid sideways to save the ball off the line.
In the 32nd minute, Kevin De Bruyne headed in a corner and Gvardiol headed home to give City the lead. The Belgian midfielder's precise passing once again proved his place at the heart of City's attacking system.
In the second half, City's attack was sharper. In the 71st minute, De Bruyne once again showed his ability to assist, his through ball found Haaland, who singled out the opposition centre-back Murillo and shook off the angle of his right foot to score 2-0. Haaland's goal not only sealed the win for Manchester City, but also further cemented his leading position in the scorers' charts.
In the following game, Manchester City firmly controlled the tempo of the game with superb passing skills, while Nottingham Forest failed to form an effective counter-attack due to their reduced fitness. In the end, Manchester City won all three points on the road.
It is worth mentioning that although De Bruyne has only started 11 games this season due to injury, he has provided seven assists, and is tied with Foden as the team's top assist. The Belgian superstar, who is about to turn 33, is in pretty good form and City are also considering signing him to a new contract.
Up to now, Manchester City is in second place in the league standings with 24 wins, 7 draws and 3 losses with 79 points, 1 point behind the leader Arsenal with one less round. For Manchester City, the victory not only kept them close to Arsenal in the table, but also showed the team's consistency and fighting power in key moments. In the race for the Premier League title, Manchester City still hold the initiative. As for Arsenal, they will need to give it their all for the remaining games to ensure they are not overtaken by Manchester City.