BBC pundit Garth Crooks thinks Nottingham Forest duo Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi upset Manchester City on Saturday. The champions ran out 2-0 winners at the Etihad Stadium.
It proved an action-packed afternoon, however, with Rodri seeing red for the hosts. He was involved in an incident with Gibbs-White just after the half-time interval.
The goals scored by Phil Foden and Erling Haaland in the opening 14 minutes were enough to win the day for City. Forest started slowly out of the traps and ultimately they paid for that.
Still, this was another spirited performance by the Reds. They had a go in the second half and were probably unfortunate not to continue their record of scoring in every game this season.
Crooks thinks two Forest players proved a nuisance to Manchester City
The man who picks the BBC Sport Team of the Week wasn’t at all impressed with City. Despite what some of their fans would have you think, it would appear that the treble-winners were rattled by Forest.
Awoniyi was his usual self in attack; driving at City and trying to use his physical strength to get the Reds on the front foot. Gibbs-White was also trying to probe and his creativity will be a big asset this season.
City’s behaviour came under scrutiny from Crooks, who wrote on BBC Sport: “City at this stage look imperious. However, the reaction by Rodri on Morgan Gibbs-White, and Ederson’s extraordinary and unnecessary response to a perfectly reasonable attempt by Taiwo Awoniyi to place the ball over the oncoming goalkeeper, was not just temperamental but juvenile.”
Awoniyi and Gibbs-White remain integral to Forest fortunes
The two players in tandem can prove lethal for the Reds. Awoniyi has scored three goals so far this season, whilst Gibbs-White is still waiting to register his first goal of the season.
Both players are very important to Steve Cooper. The pair are important for different reasons when it comes to how Forest like to play and hopefully, the duo can stay fit this season.
Based on Saturday, both players aren’t afraid to stand up and fight for the badge on their chest. City are an amazing team but the behaviour of Rodri and Ederson was frankly pathetic at the weekend.
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