Manchester City will aim to return to the top of the Premier League table, even if temporarily, when they take on Nottingham Forest at City Ground on Saturday.
Gameweek 18 of the 2025/26 Premier League season continues this weekend, with Saturday featuring seven matches. The action on the day will start with Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City, with the home side desperate for consistency in the top flight and the visitors eager to continue their scintillating winning run.
Things have changed for the better for Nottingham Forest since Sean Dyche replaced Ange Postecoglou, and the storm surrounding the Midlands outfit is becoming a distant memory. However, while the Tricky Trees have been excellent in the UEFA Europa League, they have endured a topsy-turvy ride in the Premier League.
Dyche’s charges have not won successive top-flight games since November, and the manager will be eager to embark on a positive run of results. As for Manchester City, Pep Guardiola may have finally cracked the code after 15 months of struggle.
While the Citizens have not been at their best in the UEFA Champions League, they are on a five-match winning streak in the Premier League and reached the EFL Cup semi-finals last week. The splendid run in the top flight has taken Guardiola’s men within two points of the table-topping Arsenal, and the title charge is on.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 1-0 win for Nottingham Forest, with Callum Hudson-Odoi scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Sean Dyche has no new issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Nottingham Forest manager will be bereft of the services of half a dozen first-team players vs Manchester City on Saturday.
Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangare remain unavailable due to their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast. Meanwhile, Ola Aina (hamstring), Ryan Yates (thigh), Dan Ndoye (knock), and Chris Wood (knee) remain in the treatment room, and they should return in a week or two.
John Victor will retain his spot 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 will feature Nicolo Savona, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, and Neco Williams.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Douglas Luiz and Elliot Anderson in the double pivot. Morgan Gibbs-White will reprise the no. 10 role, with Callum Hudson-Odoi and Omari Hutchinson being the two wide attackers. Finally, Igor Jesus will lead the line for Nottingham Forest against Manchester City on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): John Victor; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Douglas Luiz, Anderson; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Igor Jesus
Manchester City
Like his counterpart in the Nottingham Forest dugout, Pep Guardiola has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to City Ground. The Manchester City manager will be without seven first-team players on Saturday.
Rayan Ait-Nouri (Algeria) and Omar Marmoush (Egypt) remain unavailable due to their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations. Meanwhile, John Stones (muscular), Rodri (hamstring), Mateo Kovacic (ankle), Jeremy Doku (leg), and Oscar Bobb (thigh) are in the treatment room.
Gianluigi Donnarumma is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester City lining up in a 4-1-4-1 formation in front of him vs Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The backline will feature Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Nico O’Reilly.
As for the midfield unit, Nico Gonzalez will sit at the base, with Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden reprising the two advanced roles. Finally, Erling Haaland will spearhead the Manchester City attack against Nottingham Forest, with Rayan Cherki and Savinho completing the numbers in the offensive third.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Nico Gonzalez; Savinho, Reijnders, Foden, Cherki; Haaland
Key Stats
- Nottingham Forest won their last Premier League match vs Manchester City 1-0 in the corresponding fixture in the 2024/25 season. They most recently won consecutive league games against the Citizens in September 1995. City have failed to score in half of their Premier League away games against Nottingham Forest (3/6) but have avoided defeat in the three in which they have found the net (W2 D1).
- Nottingham Forest have won their last four Premier League matches between Christmas and New Year, all under Nuno Espirito Santo in 2023 and 2024. The most recent of those in December 2025 was against an Everton team managed by Sean Dyche.
- Manchester City have not lost their last ten Premier League games between Christmas and New Year (W8 D2) since losing 3-2 to Wolverhampton Wanderers on 27 December in the 2019/20 campaign.
- Only Wolverhampton Wanderers (10) have failed to score in more Premier League games than Nottingham Forest (9) this season. It is already more than the Tricky Trees failed to find the net in the whole of the 2024/25 season (8).
- Manchester City have won their three most recent Premier League games 3-0, last winning more consecutively without conceding in February 2021 (6). Meanwhile, no team in English top-flight history has ever won four in a row by three or more goals to nil before.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
While Phil Foden, Igor Jesus, and Callum Hudson-Odoi were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Erling Haaland as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City at City Ground.
Haaland has scored five goals in six Premier League outings against Nottingham Forest, although 60% of those came in his first game against them in August 2022 when he netted a hat-trick from four attempts. He has scored twice from ten shots in his last five games against Nottingham Forest.
Meanwhile, the Norwegian international has scored 19 goals in 17 Premier League games for Manchester City this season. The only player in the competition’s history to score 20 before the end of the year in a campaign is Haaland himself (21 in 2022/23). The 25-year-old will aim to emulate his record with another match-winning display this weekend, hoping to pay those who hand him the captain’s armband in FPL.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester City
Nottingham Forest’s endeavour to embark on a consistent run gets no easier this weekend, as they face one of the most in-form teams in the Premier League. Additionally, Sean Dyche has a dreadful record against Pep Guardiola, and his mental blocks add to the issues for the home side.
The English tactician is winless in all 16 Premier League matches against Guardiola (D2 L14). Only Steve Bruce, against Sir Alex Ferguson (17), managed more games against one manager without a single victory in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Morgan Gibbs-White’s inconsistencies add to his team’s woes.
With Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Rayan Cherki in excellent touch, a straightforward victory is on the cards for the away side. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.
