Nottingham Forest U21 defeated Manchester City U21 2-1 in a Premier League 2, Division One match on 28 August 2026. The result means both sides sit on three points after two games, though Forest remain in 18th place while City occupy 11th. It was a game where the visitors controlled territory but the hosts took their chances.
K. Clarke opened the scoring for the home side in the 29th minute, catching City off guard before the break. B. McClure collected his first yellow card in the 22nd, a warning that came before the goal. Forest kept things tight through the opening half, limiting City to a single corner.
And here's the thing about the second half — F. Samba equalised for City just after the restart in the 46th minute. Then came the turning point. McClure received a second yellow in the 53rd minute and was sent off, leaving Forest to play the remainder a man down. By then the match had shifted entirely.
Despite being reduced to ten men, Forest held firm until the 74th minute when J. Sinclair struck the winner. Sinclair himself picked up a yellow card moments after his goal, with the tension evident. K. Midwood was brought on in the 74th minute, and F. Fapetu followed in the 77th as Forest tried to see it out.
The statistics tell one story, the result another. City registered 121 attacks to Forest's 49, and held 71 per cent possession. They shot 18 times overall, with only four on target. Forest had three shots on target from 49 attacks, and that was enough to win.
Both teams have now played two matches with one win and one defeat each. Forest's recent form shows a 1-5 loss to Sunderland U21 on 24 August, while City came through a 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton U21 on the same day. This result means Forest cannot afford another slip if they want to climb the table.