Maresca faces pressure as Chelsea title hopes fade

A dejected-looking Maresca walked along the touchline with his head bowed and hands in his pockets as his side struggled towards the end of the match. While the City manager mentioned earlier in the week that he was learning about his squad, this performance against Forest offers clear insight into which players he can rely upon.

Following an opening run of seven consecutive victories, City have encountered significant difficulties with recent losses to Aston Villa, Brighton, and now a spirited Forest. Their defensive struggles persisted as individual mistakes proved costly once again, with former striker Liam Delap capitalising on these lapses to net two goals.

Gvardiol was responsible for the opening goal, while Iliman Ndiaye and Elliot Anderson became confused during the second, and Matheus Nunes failed to challenge for the third. Former Forest winger Steve Stone told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Before the game all the talk was about individual errors. Apart from the first goal, this hasn't been about that - the line is disjointed."

Stone further explained that the team's full-backs were positioned very wide, leaving them exposed whenever the ball was turned over quickly. He noted that Oliver Glasner's team successfully played through them throughout the fixture.

The match marked a disappointing return to the City Ground for Anderson following his £116m transfer to City during the summer. His midfield partnership with Enzo Fernandez appears ineffective, as the Argentine missed a close-range header and spent much of the match protesting to referee Sam Barrott.

Although the former Chelsea player found the net during the midweek Champions League victory over RB Leipzig, he has recorded no goals or assists in his previous nine appearances. City supporters and team-mates might expect more from the club record signing, leaving Maresca with work to do during the international break.

Reflecting on the result, Stone said: "I came here tonight thinking City would win, I thought they had chances. This is a real hammer blow to them, there is something not right about the back four at the minute. I have never seen a City team give the ball away so much in the middle of the park."