Maresca Urges Calm as Man City Suffer Third Straight League Loss

City Stunned at Nottingham Forest

Manchester City suffered a 3-1 defeat away to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, marking their third consecutive Premier League loss. City had started the campaign with seven straight wins, but recent setbacks against Aston Villa and Brighton were followed by another poor performance at the City Ground. The result leaves Enzo Maresca's side six points behind league leaders Arsenal.

Forest built an early lead, scoring twice in the opening 18 minutes through Jair Cunha and Liam Delap. Rayan Cherki pulled a goal back for City after the break with a fine strike, giving the visitors hope. However, Delap added his second of the match on the counter attack to secure the victory for Forest.

Maresca Seeks Calm and Answers

Speaking after the match, Maresca stressed the need for composure despite the troubling run. He admitted he is always concerned, even when his team wins, but urged everyone to keep things in perspective.

"We need to have balance," Maresca said. "We won seven in a row. Now we have lost three in a row, so we need balance on that."

The City manager expects to use the upcoming international break to review what has gone wrong and work out solutions. He noted that the team will try to understand how to avoid similar performances in the future.

City were also hit by fitness issues during the game. Both Marc Guéhi and Josko Gvardiol were taken off at half time. Maresca confirmed both defenders suffered injuries, adding that Gvardiol had been dealing with an issue earlier in the week.

Forest Gain Boost Under Glasner

For Nottingham Forest, the win offers a major lift after a tough start under new manager Oliver Glasner. Forest had picked up just one win from their first nine games before Saturday.

Liam Delap was the key performer, scoring twice after previously netting only once in eight appearances following his move from Chelsea. Glasner praised the striker, saying Delap did very well, though he pointed out that the forward still has areas to improve, such as heading and movement out of possession.

Glasner celebrated Delap's second goal with a sprint along the touchline. The manager joked afterwards that his players ran six or seven kilometres more than City, so he felt he had to run more than Maresca as well.