Nottingham Forest and Manchester City will be eager to build on their recent two-game unbeaten runs when they face off at the City Ground on Saturday.
The 2024/25 Premier League season continues this week with Gameweek 28. The latest round of fixtures starts on Saturday, with the action kicking off with Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City at the City Ground.
While discussing the biggest surprise packages of the 2024/25 season, Nottingham Forest might pop up as one of the first names for most. The Tricky Trees have risen to third in the Premier League standings by playing exceptional football while boasting among the best defensive records in the top flight.
However, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have slipped up in the last few weeks after winning only one of their five most recent Premier League games. That has reduced Nottingham Forest’s advantage over teams outside the top four, with fifth-placed Chelsea only two points behind them. However, the hosts head into Saturday’s game on the back of beating Ipswich Town to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Manchester City also reached the FA Cup quarter-finals last weekend, coming from behind to beat Plymouth Argyle 3-1 in the fifth round. However, the reigning Premier League champions have endured a dreadful 2024/25 campaign thus far, with the FA Cup being the only trophy they can win this term.
The Citizens have lost two of their four most recent Premier League games, falling 20 points behind Liverpool. However, with the other top-four contenders slipping up in the last few weeks, City will be the favourites to finish third in the standings. In addition, they do not have any games left against the title contenders, although a few tricky outings remain.
The reverse fixture saw Manchester City cruise to a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, with Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, and Jeremy Doku finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Nuno Espirito Santo has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Nottingham Forest manager will be bereft of the services of only one first-team player on Saturday, with Carlos Miguel recovering from a hamstring injury.
Matz Sels is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Nottingham Forest lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester City on Saturday. The backline should feature Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, and Neco Williams/
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Danilo and Elliot Anderson in the double pivot. Morgan Gibbs-White will reprise the no. 10 role, with Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi being the two wide attackers. Finally, Chris Wood will lead the line for Nottingham Forest against Manchester City.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Danilo, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Manchester City
Unlike his counterpart in the Nottingham Forest dugout, Pep Guardiola has a new injury concern that is hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to the City Ground. The Manchester City manager will be without five first-team players on Saturday.
Nathan Ake is the latest absentee after successfully undergoing surgery on a fractured foot. The Dutch defender accompanies Manuel Akanji (abductor), John Stones (thigh), Rodri (knee), and Oscar Bobb (match fitness) on the sidelines.
Ederson Moraes should get the nod over Stefan Ortega between the sticks, with Manchester City lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The backline should feature Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Ruben Dias, and Josko Gvardiol.
As for the midfield unit, Nico Gonzalez will accompany Mateo Kovacic in the double pivot, with Omar Marmoush reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Erling Haaland will spearhead the Manchester City attack against Nottingham Forest, with Savinho and Phil Foden being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Kovacic; Savinho, Marmoush, Doku; Haaland
Key Stats
- Nottingham Forest are winless in their last nine league games vs Manchester City (D2 L7) since a 3-2 win at Maine Road in the second tier in December 1997. The Premier League champions have won their last three Premier League matches against Nottingham Forest by an aggregate score of 7-0. They have never previously won four successive outings against Forest in the top flight.
- Since the start of November, Saturday’s match will be Manchester City’s eighth Premier League game when starting the day in the top four. They have managed only one point from the previous seven in this run, conceding at least twice each time (19 in total).
- Nottingham Forest are winless in the three Premier League games since beating Brighton & Hove Albion 7-0 last month (D1 L2). They most recently went four without a win in April 2024 (D1 L3), the fourth game of which was a 2-0 home loss to Manchester City.
- Only Liverpool (22) and Arsenal (18) have won more points in the Premier League in 2025 than Manchester City (16 – W5 D1 L2), with no team finding the back of the net more often in the top flight than the Citizens this year (21 – same as Liverpool).
- 13 of Erling Haaland’s 20 Premier League goals this season have either put Manchester City one goal ahead (9) or drawn them level (4) in the game. No player has netted more strikes like those in the competition this term (Mohamed Salah also 13).
Player to Watch
Chris Wood
While Erling Haaland, Omar Marmoush, and Morgan Gibbs-White were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Chris Wood as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s game between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City at the City Ground.
The veteran striker has been involved in 11 goals in his last nine Premier League games (G8 A3). He is also the only player to score for Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City in the Premier League since the Tricky Trees returned to the top flight in 2022. Wood will be the go-to man for Nuno Espirito Santo as the hosts look for another memorable result in the Premier League this term.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Manchester City
Both teams come into Saturday’s game eager to overturn poor records. While Nottingham Forest’s recent winless run threatens to push them out of the UEFA Champions League spots, Manchester City’s performance heading into a match in the top four leaves much to be desired.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest’s home record will fill the fans at the City Ground with confidence, as the Tricky Trees have conceded a league-low ten goals in home games. On the other hand, the visitors have won only six of their 14 Premier League matches on the road this season.
However, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side slipping up in recent weeks, a stalemate is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw between the two Premier League top-four contenders for Saturday’s game at the City Ground.