Key events
45+2 min The delivery is brutal too, dipping and swinging at the near post such that Ederson drops it, Murillo unable to force home in the ensuing scramble. But Forest are a proper threat here, with more attempts on goal than City; problem is, the visitors will likely improve in the second half.
45+2 min Again, Aina is the outlet for Forest and he wins a corner down the left, Hudson-Odoi to take.
45 min We’ll have four added minutes.
45 min “Many Raymond Chandler books have been adapted into excellent movies,” reckons Shom Biswas. “The Long Goodbye, my favourite Chandler, is especially is good as a movie too.
I will recommend ‘A Month in the Country’, a delightful little book by JL Carr, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and thought would be very difficult to film. Was pleasantly surprised – excellent movie, with a very young Colin Firth, Natasha Richardson and Kenneth Branagh.”
Agree on Chandler, whose Big Sleep is responsible not jut for one but two great films, – the other the Big Lebowski.
43 min We see footage of the City players celebrating the goal, Walker giving Gvardiol a hefty nose-tweak.
42 min Forest win a throw down the right and Aina comes over to the left to take it only to go short. Nothing comes of it, but they’re causing trouble when they go forward.
41 min Gibbs-White wins a fine challenge in midfield and the loose ball falls to Wood, who moves on for Hudson-Odoi. He’s options left and right but instead shoots, booting De Bruyne on the backswing to ruin any chance of seriously testing Ederson.
40 min “Treasure Of The Sierra Madre, The Man Who Would Be King, The African Queen and so on. John Huston was the master,” reckons Neil Daener.
38 min Aina’s been a really good outlet for Forest down the left and here he is again, flighting a fine cross towards the far post, Montiel reflects it back across and Wood’s there, five yards out … only to botch his tap-in, a weak touch sending the ball square not forwards. That is a colossal oversight.
37 min “The Third Man isn’t strictly an adaptation of a book,” reckons Paul Curievici. “Greene wrote the novel as a script treatment and it was never intended for publication, which came after the film’s success. Hoping Forest offer us Arsenal fans some Ways Of Escape today so we can embrace The Power And The Glory rather than leaving our title challenge a Burnt Out Case. Here all week, veal, etc.”
I know what you mean, but Greene did realise that to make the film he needed to write the novel first, so he did.
36 min Hudson-Odoi takes a free-kick quick, sliding down the line to Aina, who crosses towards Wood … but another of those big lads who can run, Nathan Aké, gets up early to do enough.
35 min Montiel replaces the injured Williams. I don’t think making the change before the corner would’ve stopped the goal, but you never know.
34 min It’s mad really, Guardiola is a bona fide football genius and the foremost tactical mind of his generation, yet it took him until last season to discover that players who can run and are hard can be useful. His back-fours now features three centre-backs, sometimes four, and it’s made City so much harder to disturb.
GOAL! Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City (Gvardiol 32)
A corner curved to the near post and Gvardiol runs away from Gibbs-White on the far side of the box to deftly guide a fine header inside the near post. They’ve not played well, but they still lead, and that is ominous for Arsenal.
32 min Williams limps off and though i think he’ll be OK to continue, Forest now have to defend the corner with 10.
30 min Williams blocks a Grealish shot and hurts himself in the process.
29 min Walker crosses low from the left but De Bruyne’s shot is blocked.
27 min “I think two great examples of middling quality books being adapted into amazing films are Jaws and Die Hard,” says Jack Ball. “And it’s the obvious answer but The Lord of the Rings books were incredible as both books and films.”
I’ve neither read nor watched, but the Bible, on which Life of Brian is based, is another good example.
25 min “As a Notts County fan, and like many in the East Midlands, I’d not lose any sleep about them Tricky Trees going down,” begins Richard. “Especially.given the rather cringeworthy media love-in there seems to be with them. Personally, I think Burnley or Luton staying up rather than a millionaire’s plaything would be much more romantic.”
Burnley no, Luton fair enough. But those of us who remember the latter’s craven compliance with Thatcher’s aborted /ID card farrago might not consider anything they achieve to be “romantic”?
23 min A Danilo foul means City have a free-kick 25 yards out, left of centre … and he De Bruyne curls into Boly’s face. He takes a moment, but he’ll be fine.
22 min For a second it looks like a long pass has put Hudson-Odoi in! But Ake, who looks beaten, stretches out a leg and Steffen can then come to create.
22 min Grealish and De Bruyne combine to welease Wgvardiol, who crosses behind.
21 min Forest will be very pleased with how they’ve started, City generally kept at arm’s length and the threat on the counter a real one.
19 min “Watching City do City things at 0-0 when you’re really hoping the match won’t be a blowout brings to mind another Wonka quote,” says Joe Pearson. “‘The suspense it terrible. I hope it will last.’”
Wonka has to be one of the greatest book adaptations ever. The Third Man is also good, the Godfather too of course. Any more for any more?
18 min The problem for Ederson is with his left shoulder, so Ortega warms up for a bit but he’s not required.
16 min Ederson is down, having come for the cross and collided wih Boly. I think he’ll be OK.
16 min Ederson can’t hold the next corner but he does get it away.
15 min And now Williams brings Forest away, his cross sent behind for a corner which yields another…
14 min Forest clear the corner but lose the ball, Doku not catching his shot which lollops wide of the far post.
13 min De Bruyne whips in a beauty, Murillo heading over the his own bar with Rodri lurking.
13 min De Bruyne finds Doku, who twinkles between Niakhate and Aina, winning the free-kick near the right corner of the box…
12 min Gibbs-White curls over the wall … and over the bar.