Ruben Dias makes BIZARRE excuse for Man City’s defeat at Nottingham Forest

Ruben Dias claimed the City Ground pitch was too dry during Manchester City’s defeat at Nottingham Forest.

Callum Hudson-Odoi’s winner consigned City to a ninth Premier League defeat of the season during their ongoing fight to qualify for the Champions League.

Dias insisted that the champions had controlled the game while admitting that Pep Guardiola’s side didn’t move the ball quickly enough – putting that down to the state of the surface.

‘With the pitch dry it makes things a bit more difficult,’ Dias said. ‘It was [the same] last season and at Fulham too. It depends on the weather as well and goodwill from everyone to make the game fast.’

Kyle Walker held similar grievances at last year’s game, lodging a complaint with the match manager on the day, while there is no suggestion Forest have done anything wrong.

Dias called for strong leaders in the City dressing room as they head into the final 10 games of the campaign.

The defender explained that the pitch conditions made the ball move slower along the ground

‘I felt like the team was strong,’ he added. ‘Then all the little extras – not conceding, doing better in certain moments, trying to move the ball faster. All these details count.

‘Obviously when you come from a circumstance when you’re used to winning and fighting for everything until the end, then it’s not easy to take when things are [like they are] now.

‘But it’s our challenge and right now to fight for this top four is our final of the Champions League, it’s our winning of the Premier League for this season.

‘It everything, from the competitive mentality, everything to make sure every detail is covered. That’s the way you win without a doubt. It’s how we’ve won before and how we have to fight.’