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City falter at Forest as Arsenal extend lead
Enzo Maresca's side suffered a damaging 3-1 away loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, dealing another heavy blow to their 2026-27 campaign. City now find themselves sitting six points adrift of current Premier League leaders and reigning champions Arsenal.
This recent dip in form represents a stark contrast to City's formidable start to the season. The Manchester outfit initially looked unstoppable, storming to seven consecutive victories in their opening seven league fixtures before their sudden drop in standards.
Neville highlights off-field distractions
Following the final whistle, Neville told NBC Sports that the ongoing uncertainty regarding severe sanctions is likely weighing heavily on the dressing room. With the club facing immense public scrutiny, the pundit feels the situation has become a major psychological hurdle.
"It's all everybody's talking about back home in the last month or so, and those players will be getting asked constantly, 'What do you think is going to happen? What happens if they do get relegated? Will you stay?'" Neville stated. "Now you imagine that your family is having to put up with that, your agents continually thinking about those types of things, so it can't be ruled out as a factor that's going to start to seep in."
The former Manchester United captain did note that City must still raise their on-pitch standards, adding: "If you lose a football match or two and then you can start to look at that as an excuse, but they've got to play better, they've got to compete in games, they've got to make sure that they do better on the pitch from a tactical, from a physical perspective.
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"But I do believe it will be having some impact just because of the weight of what's been hitting them from a publicity point of view in the last four to six weeks."
Maresca bemoans lack of intensity
While Neville pointed to external pressures, Maresca focused firmly on his team's physical shortcomings. Speaking after the game, the City boss was deeply critical of the squad's application during the opening 45 minutes at the City Ground.
"First half when you don't match intensity and lose all the duels it's difficult," the Italian explained. "Then when we want to react, it's too late. In this kind of match, you need to match intensity and win duels, otherwise it's always complicated."
Maresca admitted his side gave themselves a mountain to climb after a dismal start. "First half we were not good enough in terms of duels, second balls - we lost all of them," he added. "Then when we went to react we were 2-0 down and in football that is always complicated."
Pressure mounting on Maresca's men
City must now find a way to arrest their current slump before the gap to Arsenal widens further. With the threat of severe sanctions - including relegation - looming large after being found guilty of 114 rule breaches, the squad faces an immense test of their mental fortitude.
Maresca will demand an immediate physical response in their upcoming fixtures. Dropping further points would not only damage their title aspirations but also amplify the relentless external noise surrounding the club's long-term future.