John Terry says Manchester City’s shock 2-2 draw at home to Nottingham Forest ‘surely’ marks ‘the tip’ of their battle with Arsenal for the Premier League title.
City had looked heading in the right direction to secure a seventh straight win in all competitions after Antoine Semenyo volleyed beyond Matz Sels to place Pep Guardiola’s side in front on the half-hour mark on the Etihad.
Rodri restored the hosts’ lead after Morgan Gibbs-White’s exquisite backheeled finish in an entertaining begin to the second half, with relegation-threatened Forest refusing to lie down.
And Vitor Pereira’s men were rewarded for his or her spirited efforts as Elliot Anderson beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a surprising 25-yard strike to make all of it square again within the 76th minute.
The visitors even had a golden opportunity to win it on the death as Anderson swung in a pinpoint corner for an unmarked Ryan Yates, just for the midfielder to move wide from six yards out.
Elsewhere on Wednesday night, Arsenal edged past Brighton to make sure they finished the evening with an imperious seven-point advantage over City at the highest of the table.
City now have ten days until their next Premier League match away to West Ham, with Newcastle and Real Madrid up next within the FA Cup and Champions League respectively before their trip to the London Stadium.
Your football fix
Metro‘s Head of Sport James Goldman delivers punchy evaluation, transfer talk and his tackle the week’s biggest stories direct to your inbox every week.
Enroll here, it’s an open goal.
‘I’m dissatisfied for the result, we did all the pieces again, we didn’t concede much and we had probabilities at the tip especially and throughout the game as well,’ the City head coach told TNT Sports shortly after the ultimate whistle.
‘We keep going. [The players] tried to do their best, if you see how they run.
‘But in fact, in a game at home and at this stage of the season, it’s necessary, but keep going.’
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to an internet
browser that
supports HTML5
video
The Spaniard added: ‘We don’t have time to look back, so look forward.
‘Now it’s onto Newcastle within the FA Cup, then Real Madrid within the Champions League. Game by game.
‘We’re used to playing in lots of competitions and we are going to go for that game, there are lots of game to play so we’ve got to proceed.’
Is Man City’s title challenge still alive?
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to an internet
browser that
supports HTML5
video
Reflecting on the night’s drama on his TikTok page, ex-Chelsea and England captain Terry admitted he had not foreseen City dropping points at home to Forest.
‘There have been some big performances and a few upsets within the Premier League last night,’ he told his followers.
‘Manchester City dropping points again, surely that’s the tip of it for them after Arsenal beat Brighton as well.
‘I didn’t see that one coming if I’m honest.’
Switching his focus to the opposite end of the Premier League table, Terry applauded West Ham on their much-needed 1-0 victory away to Fulham.
The morale-boosting result ramps up the pressure on a desperate Spurs side, who welcome Crystal Palace to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this evening for what may very well be a pivotal contest within the battle for survival.
‘Big result for West Ham, much-needed win for them,’ Terry explained.
‘That puts lots of pressure on the Spurs team tonight, they face Crystal Palace at home.
‘I expect Spurs to win that one however it still piles just a little little bit of pressure on and so they’re definitely amongst those teams down the underside.’
Turning his attentions to his beloved Chelsea, Terry hailed what he described as ‘probably the most enjoyable’ displays he had seen from the side in recent memory at Aston Villa.
The five-time Premier League winner was especially pleased for hat-trick hero Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer, who combined to torment Unai Emery’s side at Villa Park.
‘What a win, what a performance from the boys last night,’ Terry said of Chelsea’s emphatic 4-1 victory.
‘It’s a troublesome place to go, Villa Park. I do know Villa haven’t been playing well of late and never getting the outcomes they’d have liked and so they’re definitely dropping off but that was a giant win for us.
‘We would have liked to win that last night and we turned up.
‘We got a wake-up call after them scoring very early, but to reply the way in which we did, I assumed to a person, we were absolutely excellent all around the pitch.
‘I actually have to say, that was probably the most enjoyable performances I’ve seen from us all season, so long may that proceed.’
On Chelsea’s two goalscorers, Terry gushed: ‘Joao Pedro, the hat-trick hero man, I feel he’s been excellent these previous couple of weeks.
‘I feel his all-round play as a centre-forward has been excellent, his link-up play has been superb, he’s protecting the ball very well.
‘He looks like he’s growing in confidence week after week and that may only help, getting goals like he did last night as well in numerous varieties as well.
‘I’m also delighted for Cole Palmer to get on the scoresheet as well.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the newest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: Next Man Utd manager odds after Michael Carrick suffers blow against Newcastle
MORE: Micah Richards raises Man Utd transfer concern after Newcastle defeat
MORE: Fuming Laura Woods rings in live to talkSPORT to blast ‘disrespectful’ Arsenal comments