Manchester City came away from the City Ground with a crucial three points despite an out-of-sorts display against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men were probably deserving of a point in a gutsy, determined display. But City, who continue to hunt down leaders Arsenal, showed the ruthless efficiency they’ve become renowned for at this stage of the season. Josko Gvardiol’s header and a trademark second-half finish from Erling Haaland secured a 2-0 win and leaves City a point off the league summit.

City had to muddle through a frustrating opening half an hour in which Forest habitually got 10 men behind the ball and limited spaces for the champions to thread passes into. They posed a threat as well, with Gvardiol blocking a back-post shot within 19 seconds from Neco Williams, who then saw another effort saved by Ederson after 15 minutes. Morgan Gibbs-White fired a threatening free-kick over in an encouraging start, while Chris Wood’s headed over inside the box.

Yet, when the goal came it was City who grabbed it. Gvardiol lost his marker from a corner and powered a header past Matz Sels at the front post. Before April, the summer signing hadn’t yet got off the mark for City, now he’s now on three for Pep Guardiola’s side.

But, if anything, Forest grew in stature after the goal as City’s disjointed showing continued. Wood couldn’t sort his feet in time and missed a simple tap-in from a few yards out, before Murillo hit the post in added-on time as he lashed out and hit the crossbar following a Forest corner.

The hosts missed a third clear-cut chance after the break when Wood’s weak shot was intercepted and cleared almost on the line by Gvardiol. The home crowd, incensed by a feeling of injustice over recent weeks, clearly felt they could take an unlikely point against the champions.

But for all the willing and wanting of the red masses in the stands, the team’s increasing threat didn’t result in any more major chances.

City rode their luck, weathered the storm and, as City do, found a decisive moment. Kevin De Bruyne – so often the club’s saviour in the title run-in – found Haaland with a through ball and the striker then did what he does best. The Norwegian squared up Murillo – who appeared to have a knock – shifted the ball onto his right foot and simply passed it beyond Sels and into the bottom corner

That all but killed the game as a contest, although Callum Hudson-Odoi did force Stefan Ortega into a late piece of action when he clawed away an overhit cross that was destined for the top corner.

Here’s how we rated the City players…