How did Glasner bring down Manchester City and run happily on the touchline?

A 3-1 victory brought Nottingham Forest back to life, pulled them out of the relegation zone, and gave their coach Oliver Glasner a much-needed boost. From an inspiring speech by captain Ryan Yates to a stunning brace by Liam Delap, it was a night in which the team found answers to tough questions.

According to “The Athletic” network, Oliver Glassner only needed a few intermittent puffs from his cheeks to catch his breath, as he rushed at full speed along the touchline, crossing almost half the length of the field, before throwing himself amidst the celebrations of his players in front of the “Trent End” stand.

At 52 years old, wearing gray boots that looked more like they might be worn in a bar than on a football pitch, the Austrian showed impressive speed.

Even some of Nottingham Forest's substitutes were narrowly ahead of him in the squad, after Liam Delap scored his stunning second goal.

But Glassner probably felt as if he was running on air, after the victory over Manchester City by three goals to one lifted a huge burden from his shoulders.

It was not the night that Glasner's football was born at the City Ground, but it was certainly the match in which Nottingham Forest took its first memorable steps under the Austrian.

They were not hesitant steps, but rather confident and decisive moves that carried the team out of the bottom three places in the English Premier League.

Most importantly, it carried a strong message that came at the right time.

From “the time of the nice guy is over” to a resounding victory

After a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Brentford, Glasner vowed that the days of being nice were over.

The Austrian coach drew a clear line when he warned his players that they must adhere to his philosophy and ideas, or simply leave.

If one was waiting to know which side the players would choose from this line, the answer was decisive against Manchester City.

They chose to stand by their coach.

In previous matches, Nottingham Forest produced positive performances that were not reflected in the results.

Glassner had warned his players that it was time to take responsibility, after a series that witnessed only one victory in nine matches in the English Premier League.

Despite the decline in results, the prevailing trend within the Nottingham Forest administration remained to support the Austrian coach.

Club officials believed that his experience would follow the same approach he experienced at Wolfsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Crystal Palace, where slow and frustrating beginnings were followed by periods of success.

But with the international break approaching, and the memories of the four coaches who took over the team last season still fresh in their minds, facing Manchester City seemed like a watershed moment in Glasner’s future.

The importance of the occasion increased with the presence of the club's owner, Evangelos Marinakis, known for his great ambition, who watched the team's first match from the stands this season.

A victory that recalls Forest's historic nights

As fans left the stands after the match, there was talk of how this victory could rank among the club's most memorable moments in the modern era.

Forest fans already have a number of exceptional memories.

Among them is ensuring survival in the English Premier League after defeating Arsenal in 2023.

As well as previous victories over Manchester City and Manchester United, when coach Nuno Espirito Santo's team was making its way towards European participation.

The new victory over City seemed equally important and symbolic.

Not only because of the result, but because the match provided many answers to difficult questions that continued to surround the team.

Yeats' speech that lit up the dressing room

The night began with an impassioned speech by midfielder Ryan Yates.

As team captain, Yates was responsible for giving the final words to his teammates before they took to the field.

Glassner described the speech as one of the most inspiring words he has heard throughout his career, whether as a player or a coach.

Yates was not satisfied with words, but translated them into performance on the field.

Glasner's decision to give the player his first start of the season was a huge coup.

The 28-year-old captain, whose relationship with the club extends for nearly two decades, has set a high standard in terms of effort and commitment.

Some of his teammates may have performed better technically, but no one embodied the team spirit that night more than him.

Glasner has previously expressed concern that Nottingham Forest players run fewer distances than their rivals, and that the team often comes second in terms of distances covered.

For this reason, last Sunday's recovery session, following the defeat to Brentford, included a long-distance run across the fields.

The aim of this step was to practically confirm the message that the coach wanted to convey.

22% possession...but Forest ran more than City

Although Nottingham Forest had only 22 percent of possession against Manchester City, their players covered a total distance of 119.6 kilometres.

On the other hand, Manchester City players covered 113 kilometers.

Thus, Forest outperformed his competitor in distance traveled by 6.6 kilometers.

This was not the only statistic that reflected an important shift in the team’s performance.

Nottingham Forest suffered throughout the season from poor exploitation of opportunities. He continued to score much fewer goals than the expected goals statistic indicates.

Even after scoring three goals against Manchester City, the team's total goals only rose to nine, even though its total of expected goals amounted to 15.4 goals.

But the confrontation with City witnessed for the first time the team scoring a number of goals exceeding its expected tally in the match, which amounted to only 1.06 goals.

Gayer Cunha ends the City Ground fast

In Nottingham Forest's previous five matches at the City Ground, including a defeat to Leeds United in the League Cup, they had failed to score a single goal.

Very few would have bet on Jair Cunha being the player to end this drought.

But the Brazilian centre-back had the first word.

After bravely snatching the ball from Joshko Gvardiol deep in Manchester City's half, Cunha confidently charged through the midfield.

With City's defenders retreating in front of him, he continued to advance before calmly shooting, putting Nottingham Forest ahead after just six minutes.

This was his first goal in the English Premier League.

Suddenly, the clamor of the stands rose to new levels.

As the hype rose, players' confidence rose as well.

Cunha was not satisfied with his goal, but came back to save his team from an inevitable goal, after clearing the ball from the goal line to prevent Erling Haaland from scoring.

Thus, the Brazilian defender became one of the most prominent candidates for the Man of the Match award.

But even this exceptional performance faded into the shadows of Liam Delap.

Delap proves why Forest paid £45m

Liam Delap, who joined Nottingham Forest from Chelsea over the summer for £45m, was the undisputed star of the night.

The English striker provided conclusive evidence of the reasons that prompted the club to invest such a large sum in signing him.

Chafer Schlager, who matched his colleague Yates in determination and combat in midfield, played a decisive role in creating Delap's first goal.

He sent the ball to the striker, who rushed strongly towards the penalty area, before firing a powerful shot that soared into the net.

After Rayyan Sharqi scored a wonderful goal that made the score 2-1, Delap returned to put his mark on another highly skilled counterattack.

The attack began with an acrobatic clearance of the ball from Ryan Yates.

Morgan Gibbs-White then carried the ball nearly half the length of the pitch, before passing it to former Ipswich Town player Delap.

The English striker did not hesitate, as he fired another powerful shot that hit the post before landing in the net.

That goal was the spark that launched Glasner in his famous run on the touchline.

Glassner: I can't ask the players to run if I don't run faster than the opposing coach!

When Glassner was asked how he felt during that moment, he did not lose his sense of humor despite all the stress he was experiencing.

He said with a smile: “I cannot ask the players to run faster than their competitors if I myself do not run faster than the opposing team’s coach.”

“I felt very fast,” he added.

Then he moved on to talk about the amount of pressure that surrounded the team before the match.

“There was a lot of pressure on everyone,” he said. “The pressure is still there.”

He continued: “But now we can catch our breath, and maybe have a little fun in Nottingham tonight.”

He concluded by saying: “There was a feeling of happiness, and there was a feeling of relief.”

Marinakis comes... and Glassner asks him to come back

After the match, Glasner spent some time with club owner Evangelos Marinakis inside the boardroom.

During the match, Austrian coach Malik Forrest joked that he should attend more matches, after his presence in the stands seemed like a good omen.

The two will hope that this victory is just the beginning of a long series of nights celebrating together.

For Nottingham Forest, the victory over Manchester City was not just three valuable points in the struggle for survival.

It was a victory that restored confidence to the players, lifted the burden from the coach's shoulders, and gave the fans a new reason to believe that the team is capable of turning the tide of its season.

As for the image of Glassner running half the field to celebrate Delap's goal, it will remain the clearest expression of the magnitude of what this victory means.

With the upcoming international break approaching, which will give the English Premier League clubs an opportunity to evaluate what they have provided, the first ten rounds of the season revealed a champion who does not intend to give up his throne, and competitors who are so far unable to catch up with him.

The matches on Saturday, November 7, came to consolidate this impression.

According to “The Athletic” network, the Arsenal machine continued its regular work, achieving a practical victory with an unanswered goal over its guest, Hull City, before the value of the victory was enhanced by Manchester City’s faltering in the evening match.

City lost to its host Nottingham Forest by three goals to one, widening the gap between it and Arsenal to six points.

While Manchester City's level collapsed and it suffered three consecutive defeats, Arsenal continued to collect points, achieving its fifth victory in a row.

Suddenly, it seemed as if the 2025-2026 season had not even ended.

But not everyone in North London is happy.

Tottenham Hotspur's encouraging series of results came to an abrupt halt, after they lost 1-0 to Leeds United.

The match sparked widespread anger, after Jayden Bogle escaped punishment for a reckless intervention on Matthijs Till, despite a long review by the video assistant referee technology.

Saturday's program concluded with Fulham and Newcastle United drawing with one goal each, a result that, at least, prevented mounting pressure on Matthias Jaisse before a two-week hiatus.

What happens to Marisca and Manchester City?

Stuart James: Individual mistakes have become a habit

The most obvious point to start from is individual errors, which have become a recurring feature in Manchester City's matches.

The sight of Joshko Gvardiol losing the ball under pressure after less than six minutes against Nottingham Forest was no surprise.

It was also not surprising to hear that Mark Guehi was replaced at halftime, after the player had suffered very difficult weeks.

Coaches will always say that the responsibility for defeat is collective, and this is of course true, but we cannot ignore the fact that Manchester City’s three consecutive defeats in the English Premier League all witnessed rudimentary errors.

Against Aston Villa, Nicholas Jackson took advantage of mistakes by Guehi and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The following week, Yassine Ayari took advantage of Matthews Nunez's confusion and loss of control of the situation.

Against Nottingham Forest, Jair Cunha received a gift that he did not hesitate to exploit.

Of course, it is also difficult to ignore the possibility that there is a much larger problem contributing to the team's decline.

The club has been found guilty of violating the Premier League's financial rules over a period of nine years, and there is a realization that what the team achieves this season may eventually become worthless.

Phil Buckingham: Is this really different from last season?

Is what we are seeing now really different from what happened last season?

Manchester City suggested that it had become more solid, after opening the season with seven consecutive victories, but the same weaknesses that spoiled its attempt to compete for the title last season reappeared in recent weeks.

The defeat against Nottingham Forest once again revealed the fragility of the defence.

The three goals that City received at the City Ground were very bad for a team that aspires to win the title.

The second goal was a stark example, after Liam Delap was allowed to advance the ball from his team's half without any real confrontation.

City signed Mark Guehi in January with the aim of adding more strength and cohesion to the defence.

But his substitution after 45 minutes of heavy and slow performance was very telling.

Perhaps more than any other player, Guehi embodies Manchester City's continuing difficulties in dealing with counter-attacks.

Greg O'Keefe: City's midfield lost the physical battle

Football is not about physical effort alone, but when battles rage in the midfield in the English Premier League, strength and drive certainly help.

After Oliver Glasner publicly admitted that his team was not achieving the required balance between discipline and freedom, he decided to raise the level of ferocity and pressure against Manchester City.

The Nottingham Forest coach succeeded in extracting a strong, physical and confrontational performance from his players, which Manchester City could not deal with.

In many ways, Enzo Fernandes and Elliot Anderson form an ideal duo in midfield, possessing a wide range of skills that qualifies them to win any battle.

But that did not happen on Saturday evening.

Ryan Yates and Schafer Schlager outperformed them in running, tackles, and physical struggles, despite the huge financial cost of forming a duo in City's midfield.

This may be an indication of a problem facing Mariska.

But the Italian coach also has a depth in the squad that most European clubs would envy.

If Fernandes and Anderson begin to show signs of fatigue as a result of the effort they exerted during the World Cup last summer, Marisca can use Ayoub Bouadi, Mateo Kovacic, or Nico O'Reilly to revitalize the midfield.

It is too early to say that Manchester City's midfield has become a real problem, especially since the question marks surrounding the defense seem much greater.

But if City want to keep the pressure on Arsenal until the end in the title race, they cannot allow losing control of midfield to become a recurring habit.

Is Arsenal's defense the deciding factor in the title race?

Greg O'Keefe: The Konsa deal has proven its value

If there were previous doubts about Arsenal exaggerating in paying 55 million pounds, or about 73.5 million dollars, to sign Ezri Konsa, those doubts have now been largely dispelled.

Another victory in the English Premier League after a difficult battle, and another clean sheet.

Mission accomplished.

By signing one of the strongest defenders in the English Premier League from outside the group of clubs competing for the title, Arsenal succeeded in transforming an already strong defense line into a system that is almost impossible to penetrate.

Konsa gave coach Mikel Arteta a great deal of reassurance in the absence of William Saliba, after he integrated wonderfully into the heart of the defence.

Against Hull City, who continues to perform at impressive levels, Konsa was solid again.

His exceptional performance can be summed up in a set of remarkable numbers.

He won all five aerial duels he competed in, and the two ground duels he participated in.

He also recorded 12 defensive contributions, and completed 51 out of 53 passes, with an accuracy rate of 96 percent.

Saliba returned to full group training this week, but Arteta will not feel any pressure to accelerate the French defender’s return, as long as his replacement performs at this level.

Phil Buckingham: Brighton's defeat became a stunning exception

Arsenal's 3-0 defeat to Brighton in mid-September remains one of the most surprising Premier League results of the season.

The reason is not that Brighton won, as they are an innovative team that has many ways to achieve victories.

But the real surprise was when Arteta's team conceded three goals.

If we exclude that exceptional match, we will find that Arsenal's defense conceded only two goals during nine matches in the English Premier League.

The 1-0 victory over Hull City, the fourth in a row without conceding a goal, reaffirms why Arsenal will remain the team that others must catch up in the title race.

Arsenal may not be the most creative attacking team in the league, but their rivals cannot imitate their ability to achieve victories while keeping frequent clean sheets.

And all this is happening while William Saliba has not yet returned from injury, even though he was probably the best centre-back in the English Premier League last season.

Stuart James: The champion's defense has become stronger

Arsenal's defense was already difficult to break down last season.

The team conceded only 27 goals in the English Premier League, eight fewer goals than any other team.

But Arsenal took their defensive solidity to a new level this season.

The success of the defending champion is based on solid defensive foundations.

This means that the limited attacking effectiveness of the team, which scored only 15 goals in ten league matches, is not the problem that it was.