Hapless City leave Pep so annoyed... but the day's all about Forest & Hudson-Odoi

PEP GUARDIOLA had better start hoping that this is the season when fifth place is good enough to clinch Champions League qualification.

- SIMON MULLOCK

Because, on current form, his Manchester City side have got a proper fight on their hands to finish any higher.

Callum Hudson-Odoi's late strike strengthened Nottingham Forest's grip on third place and sentenced City to their 10th Premier League defeat of a wretched campaign.

And a pack of clubs, including Chelsea, Newcastle, Fulham, Bournemouth, Brighton and Aston Villa, will now really fancy their chances of chasing City down from here.

Guardiola's first temptation once he had made it back into the dressing room must surely have been to check the latest UEFA club coefficients.

He would have been relieved to see England well clear at the top of the standings - because this is turning into a year when he is going to need all the help he can get.

Guardiola's Etihad bosses belatedly started the rebuild of City's team during the January transfer window, splashing out more than £170million on four new signings.

It's an issue that should have been addressed last summer.