Anderson saves draw for Nottingham Forest as Manchester City slip back

Anderson saves draw for Nottingham Forest as Manchester City slip back “ Vamos, vamos! ” screamed Rodri in his native Spanish following a 62nd-minute header that seemed to grab a precious victory for Manchester City. But the title chasers’ 2-1 lead lasted only 14 minutes as Phil Foden allowed Elliot Anderson to run off him and the Nottingham Forest midfielder, from range, curled a sublime equaliser beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma that silenced City’s faithful. Before Anderson’s leveller Erling Haaland was denied a penalty by the referee, Darren England, and the video assistant referee, for a coming together with Matz Sels, the visiting No 1. Bernardo Silva did not agree. “I just watched it,” City’s captain said afterwards. “It’s a penalty. We’re used to it this season, all the 50-50s have gone against us.” Pep Guardiola, the City manager, added: “It’s our responsibility to do it better, we don’t have to rely on them. Nothing more to say.” Rodri’s first league goal in 22 months arrived when he rose to head Rayan Aït-Nouri’s corner and came seven minutes after Morgan Gibbs-White cancelled out Antoine Semenyo’s first-half opener. By the close, Guardiola’s men had failed to do what was required to keep the championship in their hands until its May denouement: to win. City are now seven points behind Arsenal and have 27 to play for, the leaders 24. As Mikel Arteta’s side won at Brighton it is advantage Gunners, though more twists and turns may yet come. As Guardiola said: “Still nine games to play – all together, we will lift each other as we always have.” The contest pitted the 57 goals (the division’s second highest) of Guardiola’s challengers against the 26 (second lowest) of Vítor Pereira’s relegation battlers. Haaland was back from injury after a one-game absence, Foden recalled for a first league start after being benched for two games, and Nico O’Reilly missing after “feeling uncomfortable” in training, Guardiola said. Pereira would have been happy to see much of the ...