Say what you want about Manchester City, they are generally quite good losers. Pretty gracious on the whole. Perfecting that particular art with considerable practice, this marked a ninth defeat of the year – more than the previous two seasons combined.
Pep Guardiola never complains – saving any gripes for victories – and the players tend to hold their hands up, even if Ruben Dias did question Nottingham Forest’s dry pitch on another day of sluggish frustration for the deposed champions now 23 points behind Liverpool.
Respect for the opponent is a mantra City live by, a message coming from the top and was in action out in the car park on Saturday afternoon.