Guardiola’s City won the reverse fixture 3-0 in December.
Image credit: Livescore
Nottingham Forest and Manchester City face off in a crucial Premier League clash at the City Ground on Saturday, with both teams pushing for a top-four finish.
With just one point separating the two sides, the battle for a top-four finish intensifies as the Tricky Trees aim to continue their remarkable season, while City look to reclaim their dominance.
Nottingham Forest’s Unexpected Rise
Few would have predicted Nottingham Forest’s ascent into the top-four race after last season’s relegation battle.
Under Nuno Espírito Santo, Forest have been resilient, particularly in the FA Cup, where they edged out Exeter City and Ipswich Town in penalty shootouts to reach the quarter-finals.
"They defend really well, really compact, aggressive, the long balls are really good, the transitions are really good" ✨
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 7, 2025
Pep Guardiola is full of praise for "impressive" Nottingham Forest ahead of their Premier League match this weekend 🙌 pic.twitter.com/J3EueADVXZ
Despite a memorable 7-0 win over Brighton in February, their league form has suffered a dip, collecting just one point from their last three matches:
- Fulham 2-1 Forest (Loss)
- Newcastle 4-3 Forest (Loss)
Though still third in the table, the gap to the chasing pack has tightened, making this fixture crucial in their bid for a Champions League spot.
Manchester City’s Struggles and Comebacks
Pep Guardiola’s side enters this match after avoiding an FA Cup scare against Plymouth Argyle, where they came from behind to win 3-1.
Days earlier, they secured a 1-0 victory over Tottenham, showing resilience despite missing key players.
However, their league performances have been inconsistent.
In their last seven Premier League games while starting the day in the top four, City have collected just one point and conceded 19 goals.
Despite this, only Liverpool and Arsenal have gathered more points in 2025 than City.
Big game tomorrow at the City ground 🙌🏻
— mcfc lads (@mcfc_lads) March 7, 2025
Manchester City beat Nottingham Forest and they move up into 3rd position 👀 pic.twitter.com/wsZdnQQTRZ
Head-to-Head Record
- Forest have failed to beat City in their last nine league meetings (D2, L7).
- City won the reverse fixture 3-0 in December.
- The last time Forest defeated City in the league was December 1997 (3-2 at Maine Road).
Team News & Expected Lineups
Nottingham Forest
Forest have minimal injury concerns, with only backup goalkeeper Carlos Miguel sidelined.
Matz Sels remains the first-choice shot-stopper after his penalty heroics against Ipswich.
Likely Starting XI:
Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Danilo, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Manchester City
City’s injury list includes Nathan Ake, Rodri, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, and Oscar Bobb.
Guardiola is expected to make several changes, with Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Jeremy Doku pushing for starts.
Likely Starting XI:
Ederson; Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Kovacic; Savinho, Marmoush, Doku; Haaland
Match Prediction
Manchester City will be well-rested and eager to break down Forest’s well-structured defense.
The Tricky Trees will look to Chris Wood for inspiration, but City’s attacking quality should be enough to seal a tight win.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Manchester City