Football is another sport that often gives an image: a certain team enjoys greater possession of the ball has it moving around with seconds away from the goal. But possession and control may not always mean the same thing, as shown by Nottingham Forest's earning of its victory against Manchester City on the 7th of November in 2026.
At the City Ground, Nottingham Forest relied not on long possession of the ball, but on quickness and energy, like in the case of Liam Delap's two goals and Jair Cunha's scoring of another one.
A start that changed the match
From the first minutes of the match, Forest clearly communicated what they were about. In the 6th minute, Jair Cunha benefited from an error from Joško Gvardiol to beat him to the ball and score. The goal gave Forest confidence and put City in difficulties as they were forced to deal with a game that had already moved away from their comfort zone.
The second goal was scored in the 18th minute. Xaver Schlager dispossessed the ball and passed it to Delap. The forward had a lot to do, but he backed himself to finish after running from deep.
These goals presented an immediate difficulty for the visitors. In the event that City's midfield could not clean up the ball correctly or protect their defence in time, Nottingham Forest could exploit the space. The home team was not winning the contest of possession, but making the most of every misplaced ball.
City's response was real, but incomplete
It would not be true that City were completely useless as they had a better performance after halftime. They managed to score in the 52nd minute thanks to the incredible play by Rayan Cherki who made a half-volley that hit the goal of the Forest team.
City were getting stronger and more persistent. Erling Haaland was lucky enough to be in the right place, notwithstanding the counter-attacks of the Forest team. Ryan Yates came very close to scoring when his shot hit the crossbar so it could be said that Forest were keeping playing.
The pressure applied by the guests created a problem. In order to get another goal they had to take more risks, but it meant that they would leave free space behind and Forest were waiting for that.
Delap delivered the decisive answer
In the 73rd minute, the pivotal incident occurred. Forest launched a rapid break, during which Delap initiated a play with Morgan Gibbs-White before scoring into the bottom corner of the net. This was his second goal of the day, helping to emphasize the success of the game plan in practice.
However, Delap's performance included more than just the two goals, as he provided Forest with a much-needed channel for attack and was capable of exploiting the gaps behind the opponent's defense for a goal when needed.
Overall, Forest's win achieved much more than just the result since Opta claimed that the club had not scored during four home matches in the EPL before this match and scoring three goals against the strongest opponent made the victory much more relevant.
What the result tells us
The point is not that possession is useless. Manchester City have had several successful years thanks to using the possession of the ball to control the meetings. The point is, however, that possession belongs less value if it is not aided by defensive balance, good spacing, and protection from turnovers.
Forest were not ideal, but the second half of the game demonstrated why the score could have been even more complicated. Still, the hosts proved to be more successful at decisive moments of the match. Their first goal was a result of their pressure, while their second goal followed straight after the successful counterattack.
In the case of Manchester City, three defeats in a row in the league will raise questions regarding their ability to regain control quickly when their rivals put pressure on them and attack the space behind their defense lines. In the case of Forest, the game became yet another example of how having good organization and brave spirit can play a major role in the game with a team that expects to dominate possession.
Sometimes the team with the ball controls the tempo. Sometimes the team without it controls the danger. At the City Ground, Nottingham Forest understood that difference better.
