Delap sees Forest’s win over City as reward for progress

Liam Delap believes Nottingham Forest’s goals against Manchester City rewarded progress that had not yet been reflected often enough on the scoresheet. After Forest’s 3-1 victory, the striker said his team had been moving in the right direction even when its performances were not producing goals. He scored twice, with Jair Cunha also finding the net at the City Ground.

“It’s been coming: we’ve been playing like that every week without managing to finish. Today we showed we can score, so we’re all happy,” Delap said. He also welcomed the three points and said the team would be pleased to head into the international break after the win.

His first goal followed a determined run. Delap described his thinking in the moment as straightforward: “I just wanted to run and shoot; luckily I got there and it went in.” On his second, he praised Morgan Gibbs-White’s delivery: “It was a perfect ball from Morgan. He’s created a lot of chances this season that we haven’t been able to convert; this time we got it in the net.”

Rayan Cherki’s goal after the interval made Delap’s second strike especially important: it restored Forest’s two-goal lead and settled the contest. Delap said the goal gave his side some breathing room against City, an opponent he described as demanding a battle throughout the match.

The win over one of the league’s strongest sides leaves Forest with three points and greater belief in their finishing as they pause for the international break. The result was also Nottingham Forest’s first home win in the Premier League this season.