Jeremy Doku Sets International Break Target for Manchester City Following Miserable Run of Defeats

Jeremy Doku Sets International Break Target for Manchester City Following Miserable Run of Defeats Doku, 24, started on the left of City's attack at the City Ground, where the Belgium international's deflected cross teed up Rayan Cherki for a 52nd-minute half-volley that briefly halved the deficit on Saturday evening. The defeat was City's third straight Premier League loss, following the 2-1 reverse at Aston Villa and the 1-0 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion , and it made them the first top-flight side since Sheffield Wednesday in the 1904-05 season to lose three in a row immediately after winning seven. Jair Cunha put Nottingham Forest ahead inside six minutes and former Manchester City striker Liam Delap doubled the lead before half-time, ending a 167-day wait for a home league goal at the City Ground under Oliver Glasner. City had arrived in the east Midlands on the back of a 3-2 Champions League win at RB Leipzig on Wednesday night, with Erling Haaland scoring the late winner in Germany before the trip to face Forest. We reacted too late against Forest, it's always difficult to come back from 2-0 down: Doku Speaking to official club media after the game, Doku said: "Obviously if you concede two goals against a team like this, away, it's always difficult to come back because they play then very defensive and wait on the counter attack. "Second-half, we reacted well but then they scored and it changed the game. Obviously the third goal came at the wrong moment. "We were in a good moment and then they scored on a counter-attack and we had to start over again. We didn't start well and it's always difficult to come back away against teams like this. We need to do better." Delap's second arrived in the 73rd minute, when the forward flicked the ball past Elliot Anderson and Matheus Nunes before exchanging passes with Morgan Gibbs-White and finding the far post with his left foot. The Belgian went on to assess Manchester City 's first-half display at the City Ground, a half that has been heavily criticised as the worst 45 minutes of the Maresca era so far. "First-half, we were behind 2-0, playing away to a side like this and losing 2-0 is making things difficult for ourselves," Doku added. "We're used to playing every two days. That's not a reason. If you ask me for the reason for our first half I don't know. We go behind very early in the game and that changes a lot." Manchester City conceded inside the opening stages for a third consecutive league game, with Doku having sent an early chance wide of the target around the eighth minute before Cunha's opener. Haaland went closest to a first-half reply when he rounded Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels in the 41st minute, only for Cunha to slide in and block the shot before it could cross the line. City pushed for an equaliser after Cherki's strike, with Haaland curling an effort just wide of the top corner shortly afterwards, before Forest punished them on the counter-attack for the decisive third goal. Doku said: "We reacted too late. If we had started like this it would've been different. [Second-half]. we played without brakes, very offensive, tried to create. We scored early but a team like this are very dangerous on counter attacks." Doku: The international break comes at the right moment Doku then turned his attention to the international break, a period wherein Maresca has vowed to resolve Manchester City's problems as the Blues go away in the backdrop of three consecutive Premier League defeats. "We need to be fresh minds, start again and analyse what we can do better and move forward. The international break comes at the right moment for us to analyse and come back refreshed," Doku added. Maresca criticised City's lack of intensity after the defeat to Forest, explaining that his side did not win enough duels or second balls in the first-half before improving after the restart, when it was already too late to recover. Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol both asked to come off at half-time , with Maresca revealing that Guehi had picked up an injury and Gvardiol had been struggling with problems during the week, whilst Nico O'Reilly came on despite a back problem that kept him out of England's squad. Manchester City have now conceded six goals across their last three Premier League matches, and the defeat leaves Maresca's side six points behind leaders and reigning champions  Arsenal . City return to action at home to Fulham at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday 21 November, before hosting Napoli in the UEFA Champions League three days later and then travelling to face the league leaders on 29 November.