Schlager proves his worth for Nottingham Forest against Manchester City

Schlager made his mark for Nottingham Forest in their 3-1 Premier League win over Manchester City. His intervention against Elliot Anderson came before Liam Delap’s first goal, giving the midfielder a decisive moment after a season of quietly impressive performances.

Schlager won the ball from Anderson and started the move that allowed Delap to score his first of the match. The free transfer from Leipzig also helped Forest extend their lead. Schlager leads the Premier League in tackles this season, despite featuring only as a late substitute in Forest’s opening home defeat to Leeds.

The performance came during a difficult start to the league campaign for Nottingham. After 10 matches, the club sit 16th on nine points, with two wins, three draws and five defeats. They have scored nine goals and conceded 13. In their last five Premier League games, Nottingham have won once, drawn once and lost three times. Against that backdrop, Schlager’s decisive contribution against Manchester City gave added weight to his defensive work.

Forest manager Oliver Glasner praised both the team and the midfielder: «It was a top team performance, and Xaver Schlager put in a top performance too.» Schlager is a different player from Anderson, but his own qualities made the difference in the match at the weekend.

The midfielder’s history helps explain his connection with Glasner. Before Leipzig, Schlager worked with him at Wolfsburg, having emerged at Red Bull Salzburg. Oscar, speaking about Schlager’s potential, told Sky Sports: «He had very good potential.» At Forest, Schlager has stood out through work that can go unnoticed and intense effort off the ball. His intervention against Manchester City made that contribution tangible at a time when Nottingham needed a significant result.