Manchester City’s Ryan Cherki celebrates with Erling Haaland (Barrington Coombs/PA via AP) Rayan Cherki made another decisive statement about his growing influence at Manchester City as his late strike secured a 2-1 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest and sent Pep Guardiola’s side top of the table on Saturday. The France international was at the heart of everything City did well at the City Ground. After setting up Tijjani Reijnders for the opener early in the second half, Cherki came back in the closing stages to fire home the winner, capping off a superb display that underlined his importance to City’s title push. City had to withstand sustained pressure from Forest, who matched Guardiola’s men in big spells and were level soon after falling behind. Omari Hutchinson, who scored his first goal for the club, punished a rare City error to bring the home side back into the match and briefly threaten another memorable result against the champions. Guardiola’s side finally found a way to extend their winning streak to eight games in all competitions and six straight league victories. The result moved City one point ahead of Arsenal, although the Gunners could reclaim top spot with a home win over Brighton later in the day. Before kick-off, Forest paid tribute to club legend John Robertson, who died on Christmas Day aged 72. The former Scotland winger was central to Forest’s European Cup triumphs in 1979 and 1980 and his flair and end product were fondly remembered by the City Ground crowd. Cherki, who joined City from Lyon in the summer, appears to share the same mix of creativity and cutting edge. At just 22, he has quickly become a key figure for Guardiola and his contribution is likely to be key if City are to overcome Arsenal for the title. Guardiola has struck a stern tone over the festive period, warning his players against excesses and making it clear that fitness standards will not be compromised. He even canceled a planned rest day after last weekend’s win over West Ham. When asked about the state of his squad, Guardiola joked that he was the only one who had put on weight. Despite this discipline, City looked composed before the break and Forest had more chances. Morgan Gibbs-White went close after meeting Callum Hudson-Odoi’s cross as City pushed forward. Erling Haaland, who had scored 19 league goals by Christmas, the most at this stage in Premier League history, has been largely silenced. The visitors finally found their rhythm just after the break. Cherki drifted inside and slipped a clever pass to Reijnders, who calmly finished City’s first shot on goal from 12 yards. Cherki then tested goalkeeper John Victor with a fierce effort moments later. Forest responded quickly. Reijnders lost possession near his own area, allowing Gibbs-White to release Igor Jesus, whose cross was drilled in by Hutchinson from close range. With City reeling, Neco Williams forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a save before Nicolo Savona shone from the rebound. The decisive moment came in the 83rd minute. The loose ball fell to Cherki just inside the box and the Frenchman unstoppably finished past Victor. He celebrated in front of the traveling fans by imitating Haaland’s signature calm pose. It was a fitting end to a performance that highlighted why Cherki is fast becoming one of Guardiola’s most trusted match-winners as City continue their relentless pursuit of another Premier League crown.
