Rayan Cherki has opened up about borrowing Erling Haaland’s goalscoring role - and his celebration - as the Manchester City midfielder produced a match-winning performance against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The France international continued his remarkable form for Pep Guardiola’s side, who secured their eighth successive victory in all competitions with a 2-1 win at the City Ground.

Rayan Cherki has revealed he had Erling Haaland's blessing when he mimicked the Norwegian's iconic lotus celebration after firing Manchester City to victory at Nottingham Forest. The Frenchman's 83rd-minute strike gave City a sixth straight Premier League victory to keep the pressure on Arsenal in the title race after a hard-fought contest with Sean Dyche's side.

Erling Haaland issued a cheeky two-word jibe in the direction of Pep Guardiola after the Manchester City manager warned his players not to overindulge on Christmas Day. The Norway international’s playful response comes after the City head coach delivered his stern ultimatum ahead of the Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

With the halfway stage of the season upon us, the time has come to shine a spotlight on the players who have made the biggest impact across Europe's major leagues. But first, let's run through the lay of the land.

As we head into Christmas, it's time to review the Premier League season so far. Each side has played 17 games out of 38 and we've got a good idea of who will be fighting for what this year. Arsenal boast a two-point lead at the top from Manchester City and a further one from Aston Villa, while Wolves already seem destined for relegation at a Derby-esque pace.