Manchester City versus Nottingham Forest: An Overview
Manchester City is set to pursue their fifth consecutive Premier League triumph as they welcome Nottingham Forest to the Etihad Stadium this Wednesday evening.
The squad led by Pep Guardiola narrowly defeated Leeds United 1-0 last weekend, maintaining their challenge at the league’s summit, while Forest suffered a 2-1 loss against Brighton.
City once again showcased their squad depth, even in Erling Haaland’s absence, with Antoine Semenyo securing the decisive victory at Elland Road.
This result marked their sixth straight win across all competitions and their fourth in a row in the Premier League. Despite trailing leaders Arsenal by five points, City still holds a game in hand.
Their performance at home has also proven to be a considerable strength. Since their Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in November, Guardiola’s team has remained undefeated in 13 matches at the Etihad, clinching victory in their last seven fixtures on their home turf.
Forest arrives in Manchester in the midst of a challenging domestic period. Despite an impressive Europa League win against Fenerbahce earlier this season, their league performances have not mirrored this success. Saturday’s defeat to Brighton represented their third consecutive loss in all competitions.
Manchester City v Nottingham Forest: Squad Updates
City is closely monitoring Erling Haaland, who missed the match against Leeds due to a minor ailment. A final determination regarding his participation will be made late. Nico O’Reilly is also being evaluated after an ankle injury, with Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol confirmed as unavailable.
Should O’Reilly be unable to start, either Tijjani Reijnders or Phil Foden could be drafted into the lineup. Given the demanding schedule, midfield rotation continues to be an option.
Forest faces several fitness concerns of their own. Stefan Ortega’s availability is doubtful due to a calf issue, though Matz Sels has regained full fitness. John Victor, Chris Wood, Willy Boly, and Nicolo Savona are all expected to remain sidelined.
Neco Williams was substituted early during the Brighton game, but he is likely to be considered for selection as Forest gears up for a challenging away fixture.
Manchester City v Nottingham Forest: Expected Formations
Manchester City starting XI: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Marc Guehi, Rayan Ait-Nouri; Rodri, Bernardo Silva; Antoine Semenyo, Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden; Omar Marmoush
Nottingham Forest starting XI: Matz Sels; Neco Williams, Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic, Ola Aina; Ibrahim Sangare, Elliot Anderson; Omari Hutchinson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi; Igor Jesus
Where to Catch Man City v Forest: Broadcast Details and Online Streaming
The match kicks off on Wednesday at 19:30 (14:30 ET / 11:30 PT). In the UK, live television coverage is provided by TNT Sports 4 and through the Discovery Plus application.
Access to TNT Sports is priced at £29.99 per month via Discovery Plus, which also grants access to Eurosport and entertainment content, compatible with a wide array of devices including smart TVs and gaming consoles.
Manchester City v Nottingham Forest: Key Data
- City has emerged victorious in four of their last five Premier League encounters with Nottingham Forest (one loss), including a 2-1 win earlier this season at the City Ground.
- They have secured wins in 16 of their last 19 home Premier League fixtures (two draws, one loss), which is at least three more than any other club since April 2025.
- Of Manchester City’s Premier League victories this term, 39% have been decided by a single goal (7 out of 18), with recent 2-1 wins against Newcastle and 1-0 against Leeds. This represents their highest proportion of single-goal wins since the 2012/13 season (52%, or 12 out of 23).
- Under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, City has triumphed in 24 of their 26 Premier League matches played on a Wednesday at the Etihad Stadium (two draws), achieving an average of 2.85 points-per-game – an unparalleled record for any team under a manager at home on a specific weekday in the competition’s history, among clubs having played at least 10 such games.
- Guardiola has achieved victory in 17 of his last 20 Premier League matches against Portuguese managers (one draw, two losses), which includes two wins over Vitor Pereira during his tenure as Wolves boss in May 2025 (1-0) and August 2025 (4-0).
- Nico O’Reilly has netted three goals in City’s two most recent Premier League home games. If he scores in this upcoming fixture, he would become only the second player aged 20 or younger to score in three consecutive home appearances for the club in the competition, a feat previously achieved by Phil Foden in July 2020.
- Since their return to the Premier League in 2022/23, Forest has lost all three of their away Premier League games against Man City without scoring, conceding a total of 11 goals. They are without an away top-flight win in eight visits (three draws, five losses) since a 3-0 victory in November 1989.
- Their three Premier League matches at the Etihad have resulted in an aggregate score of 11-0 in City’s favor, marking one of only three instances in the competition where a side has failed to score while conceding at least 10 goals at a specific stadium. The others are Birmingham City at Old Trafford (0 goals, 17 conceded) and Bradford City at Old Trafford (0 goals, 10 conceded).
- Across his tenures at Wolves (10 games) and Nottingham Forest (2), Vitor Pereira remains without a win in the Premier League this season (two draws, 10 losses). Only two managers in the competition’s history have overseen more games in a single campaign without a victory: Paul Jewell in 2007/08 (24, all with Derby) and Terry Connor in 2011/12 (13, all with Wolves).
- Only Chris Wood (37) has scored a greater number of Premier League goals for Nottingham Forest than Morgan Gibbs-White (24, tied with Bryan Roy). Gibbs-White’s seven goals this season represent his highest tally in a Premier League campaign (also 7, in 2024/25).
Man City v Forest: Our Forecast
Manchester City
3
–
1
Nottingham Forest
Even if Haaland is unavailable for selection, City possesses ample offensive capability to dominate this contest. Facing a Forest squad that is struggling for league form and confidence away from home, the hosts are expected to hold the advantage and extend their successful run.
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