By Olaitan Ibrahim
Manchester City ended their seven-game winless streak in style, defeating Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League match on Wednesday.
The return of Kevin De Bruyne proved to be the catalyst for City’s much-needed victory, as the Belgian midfielder played a key role in all three goals.
City dominated the early proceedings, with Bernardo Silva opening the scoring in the eighth minute.
De Bruyne’s header was expertly diverted into the net by the Portuguese midfielder, setting the tone for a commanding performance.
De Bruyne and Silva linked up again soon after, with the latter delivering a delightful cross that Joško Gvardiol headed wide.
Forest showed glimpses of threat, with Morgan Gibbs-White forcing a strong save from Stefan Ortega, but City’s quality eventually told.
De Bruyne doubled City’s lead with a clinical strike, his first Premier League goal since mid-September.
The hosts continued to press, with Erling Haaland and Jérémy Doku combining to devastating effect. Doku’s brilliant finish sealed the win, as City ended a run of four consecutive Premier League defeats.
The victory could prove significant, as league leaders Liverpool dropped points against Newcastle United.
City’s win also inflicted a third defeat on Forest in their previous four matches, leaving Steve Cooper’s side with work to do to climb the table.