Nottingham Forest v Manchester City: Line-ups, stats and preview

Nottingham Forest host Manchester City on Saturday in the Premier League. Read our in-depth preview here...

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Nottingham Forest v Manchester City

Match Preview for Nottingham Forest v Manchester City

When the fight for a top-four finish was discussed at the start of the season, no-one predicted it would involve Nottingham Forest and Manchester City.

Forest were expected to be at the other end of the table while City were assumed to be a shoo-in given their dominance of the Premier League in the last few seasons.

And yet the sides come into tomorrow’s game in third and fourth positions with Forest a point ahead of the four-time defending champions.

Nuno Espirito Santo has done a remarkable job at the City Ground, although they have found the going a little tougher in recent weeks having won just one of their last five top-flight matches, a 7-0 demolition of Brighton on February 1.

And they proved their defensive resilience again last time out when they drew 0-0 with Arsenal.

Manchester City have had a season no-one expected.

Pep Guardiola has suffered with injuries to his squad for much of the campaign and their form remains wildly inconsistent. They have fluctuated between wins and defeats in their last five, including a 5-1 hammering at Arsenal and a 4-0 win over Newcastle.

They will have benefited from a rare midweek off due to their Champions League elimination which may have allowed some of their walking wounded to get fit.

Team News for Nottingham Forest v Manchester City

Nuno was cagey when asked about his squad ahead of the game, simply saying he would “assess” the players beforehand but it is not thought they have any fresh concerns. He is likely to recall the likes of Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson, who were rested for the FA Cup tie with Ipswich.

Several of City’s big-name players were also rested for last weekend’s FA Cup win over Plymouth at the Etihad so the likes of Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush and Josko Gvardiol ought to be fresh.

Nathan Ake underwent surgery on a fractured foot during the week after aggravating it against Plymouth. The Netherlands international will miss the rest of the season.

His fellow centre-halves John Stones and Manuel Akanji are also missing till April so new signings Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis are likely to be involved.

Predicted Line-ups for Nottingham Forest v Manchester City

Nottingham Forest: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Yates, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood

Manchester City: Ederson; Lewis, Dias, Khusanov, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, De Bruyne, Foden; Doku, Savinho, Haaland

How to watch Nottingham Forest v Manchester City: TV channel, online live stream

The game can be watched on TNT Sports 1 in the UK. Kick-off is at 12.30 UK time.

You can stream the game on Discovery+.

Stats for Nottingham Forest v Manchester City

  • Forest have not beaten Manchester City in the league since a 3-2 win in the Championship in 1997
  • City won the reverse fixture 3-0 at the Etihad in December
  • In 5 of the last 7 Nottingham Forest matches the total number of goals was over 4.5
  • In 12 of the last 14 Manchester City matches the total number of goals was over 2.5

Prediction

Forest are strong on home turf, as evidenced by draws with Liverpool and Arsenal. And this game presents a wonderful chance to dent the hopes of one of their top-four rivals.

But, despite their problems this season, it remains difficult to bet against a team that still possesses so much quality.

And that is why we won’t and will sit firmly on the fence.

Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Manchester City

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Picture of Jon Fisher

Jon Fisher

Jon has over 20 years' experience in sports journalism having worked at the Press Association, Goal and Stats Perform, covering three World Cups, an Olympics and numerous other major sporting events.

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