Delap double lifts Nottingham Forest past Manchester City in 3-1 win

Liam Delap scored twice as Nottingham Forest beat Manchester City 3-1 at the City Ground on Saturday, lifting the hosts out of the Premier League relegation zone. The result was City's third successive league defeat. BBC Sport and beIN SPORTS reported that Jair Cunha also scored for Forest, while Rayan Cherki supplied City's only goal.

Watch the highlights:

Cunha opened the scoring in the sixth minute after winning the ball from Josko Gvardiol. The defender also contributed at the other end, making a clearance on the goal line to protect Forest's advantage. BBC Sport's account recorded an early blocked effort from Jeremy Doku by Nikola Milenkovic as the home defence kept City from drawing level.

Delap doubled the lead in the 18th minute. According to beIN SPORTS' live coverage, he collected the ball near halfway, carried it forward and finished past Gianluigi Donnarumma. BBC Sport credited Xaver Schlager with the assist. Forest reached the interval two goals ahead, while James McAtee had also threatened against his former club without finding the net.

City changed two defenders at half-time, replacing Marc Guehi and Gvardiol with Matheus Nunes and Nico O'Reilly. Cherki then reduced the deficit early in the second half. BBC Sport reported that an unsuccessful clearance by Forest captain Ryan Yates preceded the goal. City were back within one, but they still needed another breakthrough to erase the home side's lead.

Instead, Delap struck again in the 73rd minute to restore the two-goal margin. beIN SPORTS described Forest catching City on the counterattack as the visitors committed players forward in pursuit of an equaliser. Delap later left the field to a standing ovation, with Igor Jesus replacing him in the 86th minute after the striker's two-goal contribution against his old club.

The win also ended Forest's wait for their first home league goals of the season. They had entered the match with six points from nine games, according to beIN SPORTS. For Enzo Maresca's City, the defeat followed league losses to Aston Villa and Brighton, extending a domestic setback after they had opened the campaign with seven consecutive Premier League victories.