Delap double sinks Man City as champions suffer third straight defeat

Manchester City suffered their third consecutive Premier League defeat of the season, as Liam Delap's double helped Nottingham Forest climb out of the relegation zone with a 3-1 victory at the City Ground. The visitors had not scored at home all season, but exploited City's defensive mistakes to score twice in the opening 20 minutes through Jair Cunha and Delap.

Rayan Cherki's outstanding strike gave City some hope, but their title aspirations appear to be fading even before potential repercussions from a major points deduction. Delap sealed Forest's second win of the season, which could be a launching pad for his career following a club-record £50 million move from Chelsea. The defeat leaves City six points behind league leaders Arsenal, with questions raised about whether internal turmoil at the club is impacting their performance.

City boss Enzo Maresca admitted they were not intense enough in the first half, conceding two goals before attempting to respond. Glasner, the Forest manager, vowed to introduce significant changes after a disappointing start to his tenure saw the team start the match in the bottom three. Glasner's timely response proved decisive as Forest pounced on City's defensive lapses.

Cunha's goal came from a well-worked move, while Delap's second came after Xaver Schlager's deft pass set him up in front of goal. Cherki's late equalizer reminded City fans of their striker's clinical nature, but it was not enough to prevent another loss.