Pep gets six

CHAMPS SURVIVE RODRI RED TO

IT was the joy of six for Pep Guardiola as 10-man Manchester City continue to set a blistering pace in their quest for an unprecedented fourth successive League title.

Forest were blown away before they had time to draw breath through two quick examples of City’s finishing prowess.

But City paid a price with Rodri sent off at the beginning of the second half following a corner flag scrap with Morgan Gibbs-white.

In a niggly and increasingly frenetic encounter, City had to dig in.

But by then the foundation for a club record-equalling sixth consecutive victory at the start of a Premier League season had been set. And also make that now 20 successive home wins in all competitions for the Treble holders.

For Forest who have announced that Take That are appearing at the City Ground next May it was a case of take that from an unrelenting sky blue machine which had a key component removed.

City’s start had been razorsharp and ruthless starving Forest of the ball and plundering a couple of goals almost at will.

It was 1-0 in the seventh minute, Rodri piloting the perfect ball out wide to Kyle

Walker whose low cross was blitzed past Matt Turner firsttime by Phil Foden.

He might be the Premier League’s leading scorer but Erling Haaland has come in for a bit of stick, Guardiola claiming he should have had 14 or 15 league goals already instead of kicking off on seven.

Well, he wasn’t going to miss out as once again City cut Forest’s defence to pieces.

Matheus Nunes was the architect with a smart pass to Foden who picked out a criminally unmarked Haaland and he gobbled up a closerange header.

Despite City’s overwhelming early superiority, Guardiola had still managed to lose his cool, picking up a yellow card.

He was left incensed when

Taiwo Awoniyi went tumbling supposedly over Manuel Akanji’s leg on the edge of the area which earned the Swiss international a booking.

Replays showed there was no contact, leading to Guardiola’s protest which was too much for fourth official Dean Whitestone.

And he could barely believe his eyes when Rodri was redcarded by referee Anthony Taylor after a scuffle with Gibbs-white.

The pair squared up to each other and when Rodri grabbed the Forest playmaker around the throat he went down as if he had been poleaxed.

But the arms had been raised and VAR couldn’t rescue the Spaniard who now faces a three-match ban while

Gibbs-white yellow. Ederson an later ha separated by Taylor following a flare-up after the striker lifted a shot ov both being boo

City still chances, Haala the best from a cross while Ed Anthony Elang

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