Football

Manchester City's dominance in the English Premier League (EPL) was put to the test by Nottingham Forest, a team languishing in the lower half of the table. Despite City's superior position, Forest proved to be a formidable opponent, showcasing the unpredictability of the EPL.City's early dominance was met with resilience from Forest, who counter-attacked effectively and kept the City defense on their toes. The deadlock was broken in the 32nd minute when Gvardiol headed in a corner, demonstrating his exceptional vision and movement.Nottingham Forest refused to be disheartened and continued to threaten City's goal. Woods and Murillo missed golden opportunities to equalize, leaving the City faithful on edge. The first half ended with City holding a slender 1-0 lead, but the match was far from over.The second half began with Forest continuing their attacking intent. Elanga's cross found Wood, but his delayed tap-in was too weak. Pep Guardiola responded by introducing Erling Haaland, who proved to be the catalyst for City's second goal. De Bruyne's pass found Haaland in the box, and the Norwegian striker used his deft footwork to beat Murillo and fire the ball into the far corner.Forest continued to press, but City's defense held firm, and the match ended 2-0 in favor of the reigning champions. Despite their victory, City were not at their brilliant best, highlighting the competitive nature of the EPL.

Liverpool's Premier League title hopes suffered a major setback as they were stunned 1-0 at home by Crystal Palace. The defeat leaves the Reds 10 points behind leaders Manchester City, who have a game in hand.Palace took the lead in the 14th minute through Eberechi Eze, who capitalized on a mistake by Virgil van Dijk. Liverpool dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances, with Luis Diaz hitting the crossbar from a set piece.In the second half, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp made several changes, but his team continued to misfire in front of goal. Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones both missed golden opportunities, while Mohamed Salah was well-marshaled by the Palace defense.Palace, meanwhile, defended resolutely and almost doubled their lead late on when Jean-Philippe Mateta forced a save from Alisson Becker.The result leaves Liverpool's title hopes hanging by a thread. They now need to win their remaining games and hope that City slip up.