'I know my qualities' - Rayan Cherki delighted with match-winning display against Nottingham Forest as Manchester City star lifts lid on borrowing Erling Haaland's celebration

Riding high in both the Premier League and the Champions League, having also booked their place in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, City travelled to Sean Dyche’s Forest in high spirits following a fabulous run of results.  

In a tight opening 45 minutes in which neither side were able to yield a goal, Guardiola’s men were able to break the deadlock after the interval when Tijjani Reijnders latched onto Cherki’s cute pass, before burying the ball past Forest goalkeeper John Victor.  

However, Dyche’s hosts - who were in good form themselves having won three of their last six league fixtures - were able to restore parity just six minutes later when Omari Hutchinson scored his first goal since joining Forest in the summer.

In need of a hero as City looked to add to their recent wins over Crystal Palace in the Premier League, Real Madrid in the Champions League and Brentford in the League Cup, Cherki stepped up again, drilling a superb effort through Morgan Gibbs-White’s legs and into the back of the net.

And in what turned out to be the decisive strike which separated the two sides come the full-time whistle, City temporarily moved to the top of the league table, before slipping back down to second after title rivals Arsenal downed Brighton and Hove Albion 2-1 later in the day.

A summer signing from Ligue 1 side Lyon, Cherki has had a huge impact on a City side who have ruthlessly bounced back from suffering back-to-back defeats against Newcastle United and Bayer Leverkusen at the end of November.  

Following his heroics as both as a scorer and a provider against Forest, Cherki took his respective tallies to five goals and eight assists in what is fast-becoming one of the best seasons produced by a player who had previously never graced English shores.  

Understandably full of confidence after conjuring up more magic for City, Cherki was pleased to show the many “qualities” he possesses in a win over Forest which was also his side’s fourth straight victory on the road.  

“We knew coming to Nottingham, it was very complicated because Forest is a very good team,” Cherki told BBC’s Match of the Day after the full-time whistle. “We are very proud to win the game.

"I know my qualities. I gave a good pass for Tijjani Reijnders and it was a very good finish. I'm very proud of the team because today is a big win. When you come here, you know the team of Nottingham Forest is a big team with a lot of good players. I'm very proud to score for my team because the season is so long and we need all the points.”

Finding the back of the net with just seven minutes of normal time left to play, Cherki marked the occasion by borrowing one of his City team-mates’ famous celebrations in front of a bouncing away end.

Taking a seat on the City Ground turf, which acted as his stage all afternoon, Cherki then performed Haaland’s trademark Lotus celebration - something, he says, had already been etched in stone before the trip to Forest.   

"All the time I want to score goals, but it is not my role,” Cherki continued. “Erling is here for that! I want to give my team-mates a good pass and I am very proud of that.”

And in a separate interview with City’s official club website, Cherki added: “In the week I spoke to Erling and he said, ‘When you score you do this celebration’ so I did and I am so happy.”

After tasting victory in what was their final fixture of 2025, City will now look to begin the new year in style when they travel to high-flying Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Thursday, 1 January 2026.

Speaking after his side’s win over Forest, a delighted Guardiola told the club’s official website: “Winter time, Nottingham Forest away… I know the memory is weak, but when we won one of the six Premier Leagues this type of game happens a lot. Three points, but it’s a massive three points, mainly for the quality of the opposition.”