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EPL: Man City stumble, Nottingham Forest soar in Champions League chase

EPL: Man City stumble, Nottingham Forest soar in Champions League chase

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Mar 15, 2025, 23:10 IST

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Manchester City drew 2-2 with Brighton, while Nottingham Forest won 4-2 against Ipswich. Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush scored for City, but Brighton equalized through Pervis Estupinan and an own goal. Nottingham Forest secured a strong victory, enhancing their European hopes. Wolves beat Southampton 2-1, and Everton drew with West Ham.

EPL: Man City stumble, Nottingham Forest soar in Champions League chase

Manchester City's Abdukodir Khusanov, second right, scores an own goal. (AP Photo)

Manchester City stumbled in their Champions League qualification pursuit, drawing 2-2 with Brighton, whilst Nottingham Forest secured an impressive 4-2 victory over Ipswich on Saturday.
Despite goals from Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush, Brighton maintained their seven-match unbeaten sequence through Pervis Estupinan's free-kick and an Abdukodir Khusanov own goal.
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Pep Guardiola had previously stated that qualifying for the Champions League would constitute a "big success" following a challenging season for the reigning champions.

After their Champions League elimination by Real Madrid, City had a complete week to recover from their recent 1-0 defeat at Forest.

Marmoush returned to the first team and proved instrumental in City's attacking movements. The Egyptian earned the penalty that Haaland converted for his 29th goal this season.
City's advantage was brief, as Estupinan's free-kick deflected off the post past an immobile Stefan Ortega. Marmoush restored City's lead with a long-range effort before the interval.
Brighton equalised three minutes into the second period when Hinshelwood's attempt deflected off Khusanov into his own net. Nico Gonzalez struck the woodwork as City sought a winning goal.
A fifth-place Premier League finish should secure Champions League qualification due to English teams' European achievements. The draw keeps City in fifth position, marginally ahead of seventh-placed Brighton.

Forest continue march towards Champions League

Forest advanced their European aspirations with a commanding performance at Portman Road. Three quick first-half goals positioned them just behind Arsenal and ahead of City.
Nikola Milenkovic opened the scoring with a powerful strike off the crossbar. Anthony Elanga scored his first goal since December 26 following a rapid counter-attack. Elanga capitalised on poor defending to secure his second goal moments later.
Jens Cajuste and George Hirst scored consolation goals for Ipswich, either side of Jota Silva's strike for Forest.

Other Premier League results:

Wolves enhanced their survival prospects by defeating Southampton 2-1. Jorgen Strand Larsen headed in Jean-Ricner Bellegarde's cross after 19 minutes. The pair combined again as Strand Larsen scored his ninth seasonal goal. Paul Onuachu scored for Southampton, who remain likely to set a Premier League low points record.
Everton maintained their unbeaten sequence through Jake O'Brien's 90th-minute equaliser against West Ham. Tomas Soucek had given West Ham the lead at Goodison Park, with both teams reaching 34 points, well clear of relegation.

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TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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