Manchester City fell to a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest to stop their top four momentum in its tracks.
A sub-par performance resulted in few chances and no clear cut attack on goal other than speculative efforts from distance or blocked shots.
Callum Hudson-Odoi compounded their misery with a late goal for Forest on the break that squirmed through Ederson at his near post and City fall four points behind their rivals for a Champions League spot.
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These are the moments you might have missed from Manchester City's trip to the Trent to take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground:
Gonzalez shows why he was signed
How many times this season has a defender lost a duel and the opposition have been in? Or a midfielder has been caught on the ball and suddenly the other team swarm City to create a chance on the turnover?
That was the Nottingham Forest tactic as they targeted Matheus Nunes and tried to force City into mistakes. And it worked some times, but rarely as far as getting a real shot on goal.
At one point, Josko Gvardiol hesitated, Ruben Dias let a ball bounce and Forest saw the trigger to pounce. But there was Nico Gonzalez, anticipating the need to mop up and taking the ball away from danger.
It barely earned a smile from Guardiola and rightly so - that's what a defensive midfielder should be doing in this system. Yet for so long this season that cover has not been there and City have conceded the first goal 19 times this term, often letting in multiple goals in quick succession.
On another occasion Gonzalez was the one to lose the ball (like at Leyton Orient) but this time he decided to take one for the team and collect a yellow card. Rodri and Fernandinho would be proud - another sign he looks like he belongs at the base of that City midfield.
Early exit from half-time talk
It was notable how quickly City were back out for the second half. The first 45 minutes hadn't been particularly great but not bad either. The sight of the City XI twiddling their thumbs a good two or three minutes before the restart however told the full story.
The extra wait allowed Ederson to chat with Ruben Dias, Abdukodir Khusanov with fellow new-boy Nico Gonzalez, and Bernardo Silva with Erling Haaland. Captain Dias then went to Gonzalez as Guardiola left it to his players to get themselves a result at Forest.
Guardiola was encouraging his players early in the first half from his technical area, before his instructions became more animated as half-time beckoned. He looked to urge his players to play on when Matheus Nunes went down with an injury, eager to get some momentum.
Later, when Callum Hudson-Odoi was sent clear, Guardiola was furious at the turnover, getting increasingly more agitated as he turned to back-to-back double substitutions.
Players show love for new hero
It's incorrect to call Abdukodir Khusanov an unsung hero because City fans (rightly) won't shut up about their new fan favourite in defence. Helped by the population of Uzbekistan, Khusanov set a new record for votes in a City Player of the Month poll and is set for a run of starts until the end of the season due to other injuries.
That wasn't part of the plan when he arrived at the Etihad in January, however he has proven himself to be good enough and his partnership with Ruben Dias is growing. After bailing out Matheus Nunes multiple times in the first half, he covered again in the second and thought he had earned his side a goal kick.
Perhaps influenced by the noisy Trent End, the referee disagreed and Khusanov looked both angry and gutted that his hard work went unrewarded. But when he turned around he saw Dias, Ederson, Josko Gvardiol and Nico Gonzalez all waiting to high five his efforts and get him focussed for the corner.
Later, he feigned to clear just in front of his own byline, letting the ball run under his body and to safety. The player who looked completely shot of confidence on debut against Chelsea is now pulling out all the tricks and feints in the book and he is a favourite in the dressing room and in the stands.
Full time party at the City Ground
Before kick-off, Forest fans unveiled a banner in the Trent End that read 'Our time has come again. We'll give it everything.' At full time, the party tunes blared including 'Don't Stop Me Now'. They will feel primed for a top four spot and City cannot stop them any more by their own means.
A huge firework display began soon after the full time whistle as Forest saw their European dreams move closer to becoming a reality and City had to trudge back to their cramped dressing room as the party was getting started.
Guardiola ordered his players to the away end and the City fans who had stayed until the end, out of hope more than expectation. Only Ruben Dias and Rico Lewis went as close as the 18 yard line to offer some sustained applause, followed by Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku. Most players stayed far away and turned back as soon as they could.
A frustrating season continues and the players know they weren't good enough again at Forest.
