Liam Delap double gives Forest first home league win against Manchester City

Liam Delap scored twice as Nottingham Forest defeated Manchester City 3-1 on Saturday to secure their first home Premier League victory of the season. BBC Sport reported that the result lifted Oliver Glasner's side out of the relegation zone, while City suffered a third consecutive league defeat after opening their campaign with seven straight wins.

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Jair Cunha opened the scoring before Delap added Forest's second. City reduced the deficit after the interval, but Delap struck again to restore the two-goal advantage. His second goal prompted Glasner to run down the touchline and join the celebrations with his players, as Forest closed in on a result that had eluded them throughout their previous home league fixtures.

The three goals represented a sharp change in Forest's finishing. They had scored only twice across their previous six home league games combined, according to BBC Sport. Before Saturday, their season's league tally stood at six goals despite 152 shots, with a conversion rate of just 4%. Against City, Forest recorded five efforts on target from 11 shots, while the visitors managed four on target from 12 attempts.

Delap's individual numbers also improved markedly. He scored from two of his three attempts against City, having previously registered one goal from 24 shots across his opening eight games. It was the first league match this season in which he had put two efforts on target. Speaking afterwards, the striker said Forest had been playing well without being sufficiently ruthless and credited the team's running, duels and counterattacking opportunities for the victory.

Glasner praised his players' defensive work, energy and collective commitment rather than presenting the win as their strongest display with the ball. Forest had just 21.8% possession, according to the BBC's match statistics. The manager told Match of the Day that his side had produced better performances in possession, but highlighted the passion and tactical discipline of their defending, alongside the support from the home crowd.

City manager Enzo Maresca identified the first half as the central problem, saying his team had failed to match Forest's intensity or compete effectively for duels and second balls. He acknowledged an improvement after the break but said the response had come too late. With the international break next, Maresca said City needed to examine the reasons for their shortcomings while avoiding panic over their recent results.