Rayan Cherki starred with a goal and an assist as Manchester City claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over a spirited Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, extending Pep Guardiola’s unbeaten Premier League record against Sean Dyche to 17 matches (W15, D2).

The afternoon began on an emotional note, with Forest paying tribute to club legend John Robertson following the news of his passing. Wearing black armbands in honour of their two-time European Cup winner, the home side observed a poignant minute of applause before kick-off.

Forest nearly made the perfect start. Callum Hudson-Odoi delivered a dangerous early cross toward Morgan Gibbs-White, but the midfielder was unable to make contact with a ball that appeared destined for a finishing touch.

That moment proved to be one of few openings in a tightly contested first half. Forest’s compact defensive structure stifled City’s attack, halting a run that had seen Guardiola’s side score before the interval in each of their previous seven competitive matches. Neither team managed a shot on target before the break.

City emerged with renewed purpose after half-time and needed just three minutes to break the deadlock. Tijjani Reijnders timed his run to perfection to collect Cherki’s cleverly disguised pass, before calmly rolling his finish beyond John Victor.

Cherki almost doubled the advantage soon after, forcing Victor into a sharp near-post save, but Forest weathered the early storm and gradually grew back into the contest. Their persistence was rewarded with a well-constructed equaliser, as Hudson-Odoi and Gibbs-White combined to release Igor Jesus, whose cut-back was met first time by Omari Hutchinson for his maiden goal for the Tricky Trees.

The leveller threatened to derail City’s momentum, yet the visitors had the final say. From a deep corner, the ball was headed back into Cherki’s path, and the 22-year-old showed superb composure to drive a low effort through the legs of Gibbs-White and past the unsighted Victor.

Cherki’s late strike secured an eighth consecutive win in all competitions for Manchester City, lifting them temporarily to the top of the Premier League table. Forest, meanwhile, remain just one place above the relegation zone after a valiant but ultimately fruitless display.