Forest shock woeful City

Nathan Tyson and Robert Earnshaw established a clear first-half lead for the visitors before Joe Garner finished City off.

The result places a massive question mark over the future of manager Mark Hughes, who has so far failed to get anywhere near the lofty expectations of City's Abu Dhabi-based owners.

Forest might have been ahead before the breakthrough eventually came but headers from Lewis McGurk, Matt Thornhill and Ian Breckin all flew narrowly wide.

In fairness, after a sluggish start, City had their chances as well with Paul Smith making a couple of superb saves to deny Felipe Caicedo and Daniel Sturridge, paired together in attack as Robinho was rested.

The hosts' cause was not helped by the loss of Shaun Wright-Phillips to a hamstring injury after just 18 minutes.

Forest took the lead as a long ball was lofted into the City box. Micah Richards got his head to it but only saw the ball drop perfectly for Tyson, who let fly with a dipping first-time volley that gave Joe Hart no chance as it whistled into the City net.

And Forest doubled their lead when Pablo Zabaleta was robbed far too easily by Chris Cohen close to the touchline, setting the Forest man haring into the box where he found Thornhill with a precise cross. The midfielder's shot was hopelessly off target but that was just fine for Earnshaw, who coolly steered it into the corner.

Caicedo twice forced Paul Smith into fine saves, without which a recovery may have been on the cards but without Wright-Phillips, there was no spark from the hosts.

And with 15 minutes left City substitute Dietmar Hamann failed to spot Garner lurking with intent as he tried to find Richard Dunne with a throw-in and the young midfielder gleefully drove home.