Forest getting close to the Champions League after another win but struggling City held by Brighton
Champions League qualification is getting tantalizingly close for Nottingham Forest.
For Manchester City, there’s still plenty of work to do.
Forest, a team many might have thought would be battling relegation this season in the Premier League, moved just a point behind second-place Arsenal by beating Ipswich 4-2 on Saturday.
More importantly perhaps for Forest, the gap to City grew to six points after the soon-to-be-deposed champions drew 2-2 at home to Brighton.
City is hanging onto fifth place, which is likely to be the final Champions League qualification position from the Premier League for next season.
City twice took the lead in the first half at Etihad Stadium, through Erling Haaland’s penalty and Omar Marmoush’s fierce outside-of-the-area shot, but was pegged back each time by an opponent also in contention to get into the Champions League.
An own-goal by Abdukodir Khusanov in the 48th ultimately clinched a point for Brighton, which is only a point behind City. That meant City already has conceded 40 league goals this season, its most in a single campaign under Pep Guardiola.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, March 15, 2025. Credit: AP/Ian Hodgson
Anthony Elanga scored twice for Forest, whose other goals came from Nikola Milenkovic and Jota Silva.
Ipswich, in third-to-last place, dropped nine points adrift of safety after Wolverhampton — the team directly above the relegation zone — won 2-1 at last-place Southampton.
Everton scored in stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw at home to West Ham.
Bournemouth, another unheralded team in contention for Champions League qualification, hosts Brentford in the late game.
Nottingham Forest’s Nikola Milenkovic scores their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest at Portman Road, Ipswich, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. Credit: AP/John Walton
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