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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

When Glassner was asked how he felt at that moment, he said with a smile: “I cannot ask the players to run faster than their opponents if I myself am not running faster than the opposing team’s coach.” “I felt very fast,” he added.