Rayan Cherki etched his name into Manchester City folklore, scoring a late winner to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory against a spirited Nottingham Forest side. The win, at the City Ground on Saturday, extends the Cityzens' winning streak to eight games in all competitions. This victory also sees them provisionally climb to the top of the Premier League table, one point ahead of Arsenal.

The match itself was a tale of two halves. The first half was a tense affair, with neither team able to find the target. Forest started brightly, with Callum Hudson-Odoi causing problems early on, but City gradually asserted themselves. However, clear-cut chances were few and far between, as both teams defended resolutely.

The second half burst into life early on. Just three minutes after the restart, Rayan Cherki played an intricate pass to Tijjani Reijnders, who unleashed a low, powerful shot past Forest goalkeeper John Victor to give City the lead. However, Forest responded quickly. In the 54th minute, a flowing team move culminated in Igor Jesus crossing for Omari Hutchinson, who swept home the equalizer, marking his first goal for Forest.

With the game finely poised, both teams pushed for a winner. Forest, spurred on by their home crowd, matched City for long periods, creating a frantic and exciting contest. However, it was City's summer signing, Rayan Cherki, who proved to be the difference. In the 83rd minute, Josko Gvardiol cushioned a header into the path of Cherki, who drilled a fine finish into the net from the edge of the area, sparking jubilant scenes among the City players and fans.

Speaking after the match, Cherki expressed his pride in the team's performance, acknowledging the difficulty of securing the win. The goal was Cherki's second in three games and his fifth overall for Manchester City. The 22-year-old French international has quickly established himself as an important player for Pep Guardiola's side since joining from Lyon in the summer of 2025.

For Nottingham Forest, the defeat leaves them fourth from bottom, five points ahead of West Ham. Despite the loss, Omari Hutchinson insisted that the team is on the "right track" under manager Sean Dyche.

Manchester City will next travel to Sunderland on New Year's Day, while Nottingham Forest will host Everton on Tuesday evening.