… despite Rodri red card
Manchester City make it six wins from six notwithstanding Rodri red card, as they extended their winning start in the Premier League with an unnecessarily complicated 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Manchester City were made to work for their victory over Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday in Manchester, England after a red card for Rodri saw them play the majority of the second half with 10 men.
Phil Foden and Erling Haaland had put the Premier League champions in command early on, but had to battle to win their sixth match from six this season with the visitors lacking a cutting edge despite the extra man, Eurosport reports.
Erling Haaland scored his eighth goal in six Premier League matches as 10-man Manchester City extended their flawless start to the season with a 2-0 home win against Nottingham Forest from a bad-tempered encounter.
Despite having Rodri sent off a minute after the restart for appearing to grasp the neck of Morgan Gibbs-White, Pep Guardiola’s side defended diligently to match their most successful start to a top-flight season.
They also won six straight games in 2016 under the Spanish coach.
The European champions moved ahead at the Etihad when the outstanding Phil Foden finished off a stunning 46-pass attacking move by thumping the ball low into the net after being teed up by the rampaging Kyle Walker from a delightful Rodri pass over the top.
The second arrived seven minutes later when Norway forward Haaland timed his arrival perfectly to power home the delivery from Matheus Nunes after more wonderful creative work by Foden.
Morgan Gibbs-White was booked for his involvement in the Rodri red card on 46 minutes with VAR confirming referee Anthony Taylor had called it correctly. Taylor also booked another 10 men and a frustrated home coach Guardiola as the match turned uglier the longer it progressed.
Forest despite having an extra man, fought real hard to claw their way back, but lacked the clinical edge of the hosts.
Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea are the only other team to win their first six Premier League matches of the season back in 2005 when they retained the title. It is difficult to see past City doing likewise this term.
