Manchester City

Manchester City fans have questioned Gianluigi Donnarumma's performances in goal following the club's third-consecutive Premier League defeat, with one supporter calling for the goalkeeper to be dropped.

City suffered a 3-1 loss to Nottingham Forest, with former academy striker Liam Delap scoring twice against his old club. The result left Pep Guardiola's side six points behind league leaders Arsenal.

Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester on whether Enzo Maresca has got his team selection right at City, former midfielder Jim Whitley and City fans Ciaran and Mark discussed the club's recent struggles.

Ciaran said: "The only way Donnarumma is going to get back to his best, for me, is by sitting on the bench and realising he's not been good enough.

"He needs a kick up the backside, basically. He has proper dropped his standards. He wasn't at fault on Saturday, but he has been in the last three or four games."

Jim Whitley added: "There comes a point where if your senior players aren't producing, you're going to have to change it. You're right in Donnarumma, he needs a little pressure and that he can't just sit there and be number one."

Listen to the full clip by pressing play above or on BBC Sounds here

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

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The decision not to award a penalty for handball against Lewis Dunk in Manchester City's 1-0 defeat by Brighton has been narrowly supported by the Premier League's Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel.

The five members of the panel voted 3-2 to back the decision of on-field referee Craig Pawson and video assistant referee John Brooks.

Brighton had taken the lead at the Etihad through Yasin Ayari's goal in the 11th minute.

In first-half stoppage time as City looked for an equaliser, the ball came off both of Dunk's arms inside the penalty area.

The majority view of the KMI Panel was that "the ball struck Dunk on the thigh/arm before hitting his opposite arm, with his arms down by his side".

But two panellists felt Dunk "had enough time to reposition his arms given the distance the ball travelled", while adding that they "considered this a punishable handball".

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

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Chelsea defender Malo Gusto is assessing his options before the January transfer window.

The 23-year-old is away with the France team but has increasingly become a fringe option under manager Xabi Alonso at Stamford Bridge.

Gusto has not started a Premier League match for more than two months and has increasingly lost his place to Josh Acheampong at right-back, despite captain Reece James being injured.

It is unclear what Chelsea's stance is, but they were open to selling Gusto in the summer and set a £75m asking price for potential suitors.

Manchester City, now led by former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, were among the interested clubs, although it remains unclear whether they retain an interest.

Gusto made his 100th appearance for Chelsea as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat at Sunderland before the international break.

He joined from Lyon in 2023 for £26.3m and remains under contract until 2030.

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Manchester City fan Steven McInerney says Enzo Maresca's line-up decisions are beginning to "concern" him.

City dropped to third in the Premier League table after losing 2-1 to Nottingham Forest on the weekend, and Steven believes his side were "outfought" on the pitch.

"It's looking pretty rough for Enzo Maresca right now - that's the third league defeat in a row after such a wonderful start as well," Steven told BBC Sport.

"This one in particular stings. You can sort of accept Aston Villa, Brighton as well to an extent, but Forest started this game 19th in the table. They hadn't scored a single goal at home and they scored three against Manchester City.

"It was largely, well not largely, entirely self-inflicted. You can make mistakes absolutely but you can't be out-battled, you can't be outfought. Manchester City were. It was a really poor performance.

"Maresca you're starting to concern me. I understand early on in the season, second-half substitutions were changing the game, you didn't know your squad. But you do know them now.

"When the substitutions come on, the team get better but then three days later we see the same starting XI. What are the lessons we're learning here?"

Listen to Steven's full reflection here

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City.

Here are some of your comments:

Nottingham Forest fans

Mossy: A brilliant all-round performance by Nottingham Forest and with Mr Marinakis in attendance it could not come at a better time for Oliver Glasner. On to Bournemouth after the international break and if we beat our bogey team it will be just about more pleasing than this result against Man City!

James: Wow! Where has that come from? Glasner's talk must really have got to the players, because that was incredible. Despite Delap rightly getting praised for his performance, can Jair Cunha get a moment of appreciation? Goal, goal line clearance, and did his part in locking down the City attackers. For me MOTM.

John: Superb performance. Delap will get the headlines but every Forest player was a success. Glasner's tactics were perfect. City couldn't get going because we didn't let them. Defence was solid, midfield worked going forward and tackling back, forward play was fast, fluent and effective. Everything that hasn't been going for us worked so well. What a confidence booster that must be.

Harry: A solid performance with three incredible goals to give us the three points we needed to jump above the relegation zone. There was a 15 minute period where City were all over us but we found our feet and responded with a spectacular goal from Liam Delap.

Sherman: Absolutely superb across the whole team. Everyone really turned up and we thoroughly deserved that win with three belting goals. Onwards from here. COYR.

Manchester City fans

Aidan: Don't understand how we can keep making individual errors at the back every match. Sloppiness is killing us time and time again and we look the most disjointed I've seen us in a long time. Maresca needs to find the answers FAST.

Mike: We only need a new back five, simple.

Ben: Both the manager and Fernandez need to get binned. No cutting edge, weak in midfield and no definite style of play. Kompany in as manager please.

Allison: We need a settled back four, chopping and changing doesn't promote confidence. In particular, we need to resolve the full back positions - I'm not convinced playing four centre halves is a good idea even if it keeps them happy.

Brian: Man City have run out of ideas and now run out of road. This was simply awful to watch and humiliating as a Man City fan. Lost in defence and lost in attack. The pressure of what has happened off the pitch is clearly impacting on the field of play. Players have lost pride in the shirt. This is a shadow of the team that started the season. Man City cannot defend and they struggle for pace and belief. What was all this big spend in aid of if they play as a team without ideas? This league is lost.

Shamoon Hafez
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Rayan Cherki's stunning strike gave Manchester City hope but they could not turn it around at Nottingham Forest and the numbers following the result make for grim reading.

• Man City have lost three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since a run of four in November-December 2024

• They have become the second team in English top-flight history - after Sheffield Wednesday in 1904-05 - to win their first seven games of a season and then lose their next three

• This was their first league defeat by two or more goals against a side starting the day in the relegation zone since November 2008 (a 2-0 loss to Bolton Wanderers).

Enzo Maresca was forced to chop and change his defence again, withdrawing both Josko Gvardiol and Marc Guehi at half-time because of injuries, according to the manager.

It meant Matheus Nunes came in at right-back, with Abdukodir Khusanov moving inside, and Nico O'Reilly playing down the left.

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC Sport: "I thought City's performance was poor in terms of mentality.

"To make so many mistakes when you go anywhere in the Premier League, but especially to a team who are fighting for the lives, and you know they're going to come after you.

"They were sloppy with the ball, not winning duels. I would even probably go as far as saying there was probably a bit of arrogance at the start of the game from them.

"I think that there are now some big questions to ask the manager about how he gets them back on track. I think with the talent they have got, it is not going to be a big problem.

"But I think defensively, maybe sticking to the same backline for a little while is the way forward."

Read more on the defeat

Manchester City, Chelsea, Brentford, Fulham, Newcastle United and Tottenham are among a number of sides monitoring 21-year-old French defender Ismaelo Ganiou, who plays for Lens. (Teamtalk), external

Manchester United made an approach for Manchester City defender Rayan Ait-Nouri, 25, in the summer and could make another attempt to sign the Algeria international in January. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Tim Abraham
BBC Sport Journalist

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In the fog that drifted over the City Ground, Enzo Maresca's side were all at sea as they slid to their third league defeat in as many games.

Nottingham Forest had bottle and bite right from kick-off while Manchester City were brittle and bumbling.

City have now conceded eight first-half goals in 10 games, with only Crystal Palace (11) and Ipswich (nine) conceding more in the league this season.

The scrutiny on City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has suffered a dip in form in recent weeks, will inevitably increase.

A well-placed totem pole might have been more effective than the Italian for Forest's first two goals.

On both occasions the 27-year-old's positioning and reaction times were questionable.

He was not helped by those in front of him, as decidedly meek play from Elliot Anderson and Josko Gvardiol led to Forest's opening two goals.

Indeed, only Sunderland (six) and Hull City (five) have committed more errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season than City's four.

There was little Donnarumma could do about the quality of Liam Delap's finish for the third.

Maresca needs to eradicate such sloppiness if City are to keep pace with a ruthless Arsenal side deep into the season.

At the moment it looks unlikely.

Man City starting XI:

Gianluigi Donnarumma: Another game without a clean sheet, another three conceded. Aerially suspect too. Not having a good season. 4

Abdukodir Khusanov: Seems awkward when shunted out to the right, before being moved back inside. 4

Ruben Dias: A desperate lunge to try to block Liam Delap's goal summed up his - and his side's - poor display. 4

Marc Guehi: Part of a City defence that were all over the place in the first half before being hooked at half-time. 4

Josko Gvardiol: Not in great form at the moment. Soft on the ball early on when he had his pocket picked by Jair Cunha for Nottingham Forest's opener and was also substituted. 4

Elliot Anderson: Made an unhappy return to the City Ground where he lost the midfield battle. 5

Enzo Fernandez: A really disappointing performance. Should have pulled a goal back but sent his header from close range over. Midfield seems to lack in balance with him and Anderson in the side. 5

Jeremy Doku: Got no change out of Daniel Munoz and produced very little. 5

Iliman Ndiaye: Missed interception led to Forest's second goal and did not contribute much in attack. Not his best game. 5

Rayan Cherki: Pulled a goal back for City with a stunning finish in the second half. 6

Erling Haaland: Had some chances but not his best showing in front of goal. 5

Man City substitutes:

Matheus Nunes (on 45, Guehi): Failed to put a foot in on Delap for Forest's third. 5

Nico O'Reilly (on 45, Gvardiol): With Gvardiol shaky, will the Englishman be given a run of games in the side? 6

Phil Foden (on 76, Fernandez) 6

Subs not used:

Geronimo Rulli, Mateo Kovacic, Vitor Reis, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Allan, Rico Lewis.

Read the full article and see how you rated the players

Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It's quite clear - first half we didn't match intensity or win duels or second balls. First thing required in these games is intensity. We tried to react at 2-0 but it's too late. We scored one, probably could have scored more but in transition we concede one more."

Why was intensity low? "I need to analyse that. Today's game is probably the first that we lack intensity in the first 45 minutes. Second half better. Never happened before - we need to understand the reason why and try not to let them happen again.

"First one is a consequence of the way we want to play. We want to play from the back so this can happen. Second and third goals quite similar - we lost the duel then concede on transition.

"We are conceding too many goals unfortunately and we need to improve that."

How to change that: "[We need to] Use the international break to understand why and try to avoid in the future.

"Always concerned but we need balance - seven in a row not happened then three in a row. Need the balance.

"No panic. We need to understand but no panic."

Hear more from Maresca on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Man City have lost three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since a run of four in November/December 2024.

• Man City have become the second team in English top-flight history – after Sheffield Wednesday in 1904-05 – to win their first seven games of a season and then lose their next three.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Nottingham Forest's performance

What did you make of Manchester City's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

There are four games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Leeds v Tottenham (12:30)

• Arsenal v Hull City - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Fulham v Newcastle - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Nottingham Forest v Manchester City (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

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