'Critical moment' - Pep Guardiola has noticed change from Man City fans

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about the way his team performed in the Premier League win over Nottingham Forest

Pep Guardiola thinks Manchester City are once again a team that their supporters can get behind after they finished 2025 with three points at Nottingham Forest. Tijjani Reijnders gave the Blues a second-half lead but they were pegged back before Rayan Cherki scored a late winner that keeps the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.

The victory was City's eighth in a row in all competitions and continues a remarkable transformation from last year, when Guardiola's side were barely able to scrape one win together amid an injury crisis and a drop in standards. City started work to change that in the January transfer window and continued it in the summer, with squad members new and old pushing each other to be better.

City celebrated enthusiastically with their fans at the City Ground, with Guardiola staying until last to conduct a chorus of his song before catching up with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to walk off. The manager was delighted with the improvement in his team and the renewed effort that they can show to their supporters.

"A critical moment changed in the Club World Cup," said Guardiola. "We looked at ourselves and changed in many thigs. Now is a process. When we won a lot of titles, you saw a lot of games of this type.

"The body language, how we are with the fans is there. They feel the team wants to do it, want to fight for each other. The people who adore the club more than we love it. We’ve had that a long time ago.

"It’s three points but a massive three points. Mainly because of the quality of the opponent. They are so good. Nuno made an incredible job here. You see Hutchinson, Hudson-Odoi, Anderson, Gibbs-White, how they defend – they love to defend. It’s a top, top side.

"Last season that game is lost 10 (times out of) 10. The team want to do it. The last game of the first leg of the season next and it’s important for three points."