Manchester City will host Nottingham Forest at the Etihad on Wednesday, looking to continue the Premier League title charge with another crucial victory.
Manchester City will look to close the gap with Arsenal, and they simply cannot afford to drop points in the Premier League game vs Nottingham Forest at the Etihad on Wednesday evening. Pep Guardiola’s men are coming into this game on the back of four wins from the last four Premier League matches, and they are full of confidence and momentum right now.
The hosts are the better team on paper, and they should be able to grind out a good result here. On the other hand, Nottingham Forest are fighting for survival in the Premier League, and they are without a win in their last five Premier League matches. This will be a difficult outing for the Tricky Trees, and they could struggle here.
The visitors are struggling with a lack of confidence and momentum, and Manchester City could pile further misery on them. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Max Alleyne (knock), Mateo Kovacic (ankle), and Josko Gvardiol (calf) are ruled out for the home side. However, Erling Haaland may be fit and available to take on Nottingham Forest after missing the clash with Leeds United this past weekend due to a minor issue.
Manchester City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Nottingham Forest, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal. Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly will start as the full-backs. They will keep things tight at the back and help out in the final third. Meanwhile, Ruben Dias and Marc Guehi will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Rodri will start in the defensive midfield role, looking to control the tempo and provide defensive cover, with Tijjani Reijnders adding drive and creativity alongside him.
Bernardo Silva will add creativity from the attacking midfield role. Phil Foden and Antoine Semenyo will add flair and goals from the flanks, with Erling Haaland leading the line for Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest. However, Omar Marmoush will spearhead the attack if Haaland is not fit enough.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rodri, Reijnders; Foden, Silva, Semenyo; Haaland
Nottingham Forest
John Victor, Chris Wood, Nicolo Savona, and Willy Boly are ruled out due to their respective knee injuries. Meanwhile, Stefan Ortega is struggling with a calf injury. Nottingham Forest will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Manchester City, with Matz Sels in goal.
Neco Williams and Ola Aina will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and help out going forward. Murillo will start alongside Nikola Milenkovic at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Ibrahim Sangare will add physicality and drive alongside Elliot Anderson, who will aim to provide defensive cover and control. Morgan Gibbs-White will add creativity and goals to the side in the final third.
Omari Hutchinson and Callum Hudson-Odoi will start on the flanks, and they will look to add pace, flair, and unpredictability going forward. Finally, Igor Jesus will lead the line for Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Igor Jesus
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won their last four matches in the Premier League.
- Manchester City have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six home matches against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
- Manchester City have been winning at both half-time and full-time in their last three matches Premier League.
- 13 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Nottingham Forest have lost four of their last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian international is an impressive form, and he is currently the top scorer of the Premier League. He could cause all sorts of problems for the Nottingham Forest defence. The visitors have conceded 41 goals in 28 league matches, and they could struggle to keep the Manchester City striker quiet.
Haaland will look to add to his goal tally for the season and help create opportunities for his teammates as well, especially after missing out against Leeds United. Manchester City will need him to step up and produce in the final third here.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Manchester City should be able to pick up all three points here. The home team are in good form right now, and they will be full of confidence. On the other hand, Nottingham Forest have been quite poor defensively, and their defensive unit is likely to let them down.
The Tricky Trees have lost five of their last six meetings against Manchester City, and they are on a three-match losing run across all competitions. The away will look to put up a strong fight here, but they are likely to come up short once again. Manchester City are likely to come away with all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.
