Liam Delap’s Manchester City double highlights tactical opportunity for Nottingham Forest

Liam Delap's two goals against Manchester City have highlighted how Nottingham Forest can make better use of the striker's direct running and ability to attack space.

The 23-year-old scored twice against his former club on Saturday as Forest secured a 3-1 Premier League victory at the City Ground.

Delap had scored only once in his previous eight league appearances following his summer arrival, but his performance against City demonstrated the threat he can pose when receiving the ball in forward-facing positions.

For manager Oliver Glasner, the victory offered an example of how Forest's attacking transitions can create opportunities for the England striker.

Delap has the physical strength to compete with centre-backs, but his performance against Manchester City showed that his attacking qualities extend beyond holding up the ball.

Both goals demonstrated the danger he can pose when Forest move forward quickly.

His first came in the 18th minute, when he drove through the middle of the pitch before producing a powerful finish.

The second arrived in the 73rd minute after Morgan Gibbs-White carried the ball forward during a counterattack and released Delap, who finished with his left foot.

The two goals restored Forest's advantage after Rayan Cherki had reduced City's deficit early in the second half.

Delap's ability to attack space is also reflected in his Premier League statistics.

According to FotMob, the striker has completed 11 successful dribbles in nine league appearances this season, averaging approximately 1.5 per 90 minutes.

His successful dribble rate stands at 57.9%, indicating that he can beat defenders when attempting to carry possession forward.

FotMob also records a passing accuracy of 61.2%, although that figure alone does not establish whether Delap is effective at linking play.

The difficulty and location of attempted passes, as well as the responsibilities assigned to him, would need to be considered before drawing conclusions about that aspect of his game.

Against Manchester City, Forest had only around 22% of possession, making their ability to attack quickly particularly important.

Delap's performance therefore offers a useful example of his effectiveness in transition, rather than proof that he requires a permanent change of position.

Glasner has different attacking options available depending on the demands of a match.

Chris Wood offers an experienced centre-forward presence and can provide a focal point for longer passes and attacking deliveries.

Delap, meanwhile, demonstrated against City how dangerous he can be when making forward runs and attacking defenders with space ahead of him.

Those qualities are not mutually exclusive.

Delap can still compete physically, receive passes with his back to goal and contribute to combination play while also being encouraged to run beyond defenders when opportunities arise.

Forest's victory showed the potential benefits of supplying him quickly after regaining possession.

However, matches against opponents who defend deeper may require a different approach, with fewer opportunities to exploit open space.

Glasner praised Delap's finishing after the Manchester City win but stressed that the result reflected a collective effort rather than one player's performance.

The victory was Forest's first at home in the Premier League this season and moved them onto nine points, lifting them out of the relegation zone.

Delap's double offers Glasner a useful tactical reference as Forest seek to build on that result, although further performances will be needed to establish whether the same approach can deliver consistently.