- Nuno Esirito Santo was strongly praised by Man City after the victory of Forest 1-0
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Say what you want about Manchester City, they are usually quite good losers. Quite kind in everything. Perforating that particular art with considerable practice, this marked a novel defeat of the year, more than the two previous seasons combined.
Pep Guardiola never complains, saving that they do not reinforce for the victories, and the players tend to keep their hands up, even if Ruben Dias questioned the dry tone of Nottingham Forest in another day of slow frustration for the champions now 23 points behind Liverpool.
Respect for the opponent is a Mantra City Live, a message that comes from the top and was in action in the parking lot on Saturday afternoon. Txiki Begiristain, the outgoing soccer director, stayed to catch Nuno Esirito Santo. Begiristain offered his congratulations, affectionately scratching the beard of the Portuguese, the couple spoke for a few minutes and hugged it. There was a genuine warmth when Begiristain's mind will have been running.
Despite the late winner of Callum Hudson-odoi, the circumstances of which the city will feel was avoidable, and a general discomfort in possession, clearly recognize the story in the master city by a non-cliff manager who led the bets of the jacket race last summer.
Nuno took the acclamation with grace of Begiristain. Measured in its acceptance, more measured than the fireworks that come out along full -time Radcliffe Road. Those lit when Forest won a draw in the same accessory two years ago, but he felt much more deserving this time.
Manchester City was kind in defeat after the huge 1-0 victory of Nottingham Forest on Saturday
The Pep Guardiola side fell 23 points behind Liverpool and saw its four hopes higher than a blow
Forest, sitting third, are just a few victories of the historical qualification of the Champions League
Was this the day they consolidated the qualification of the Champions League? It feels close now, the outstanding story of the division campaign with 1979, 1980 and all that. The city's land shook on Saturday; Imagine its bases if a European heavyweight appears on Tuesday night in six months.
The Forest Manager seemed less reserved within the locker room, it must be said, advancing to the melodies such as the posterior full of Ola Aina happily filmed, and it is good to see that Nuno occasionally allows his personality to leave.
It is difficult not when each follower stays in the final whistle to root their equipment through the tunnel. It really was a show for the view, an emotional moment in which reality seemed to be hitting thousands of everything in a wave.
With the fifth almost surely enough to make the Champions League, which will present relief for the city, and the gap to sixth now five points, Forest will only need some more victories. At this point, anything less than finishing the work would be a failure, as hard as it could sound.
The city would also kick if they do not solve it. After Brighton next weekend, the match is favorable for Guardiola after a list of punishment accessories that includes Arsenal Away, Liverpool, Tottenham and this reverse on Midlands.
Guardiola says he is in his hands and, of course, he is right. If City appears in these 10 games, they will be in that competition for a 15th consecutive year. Fifteen. Maybe it's really lost.
There are things to fix. More courage in the ball, to start, and it was irritating to see the Kevin substitute for Bruyne trying to direct the traffic, pointing to where runners wanted, while driving forward with the ball. The city is usually synchronized, but not here and not this season.