Nottingham Forest v Manchester City: Line-ups, stats and preview

Match Preview for Nottingham Forest v Manchester City

When the fight for a top-four finish was discussed at the start of the season, no-one predicted it would involve Nottingham Forest and Manchester City.

Forest were expected to be at the other end of the table while City were assumed to be a shoo-in given their dominance of the Premier League in the last few seasons.

And yet the sides come into tomorrow’s game in third and fourth positions with Forest a point ahead of the four-time defending champions.

Nuno Espirito Santo has done a remarkable job at the City Ground, although they have found the going a little tougher in recent weeks having won just one of their last five top-flight matches, a 7-0 demolition of Brighton on February 1.

And they proved their defensive resilience again last time out when they drew 0-0 with Arsenal.

Manchester City have had a season no-one expected.

Pep Guardiola has suffered with injuries to his squad for much of the campaign and their form remains wildly inconsistent. They have fluctuated between wins and defeats in their last five, including a 5-1 hammering at Arsenal and a 4-0 win over Newcastle.

They will have benefited from a rare midweek off due to their Champions League elimination which may have allowed some of their walking wounded to get fit.

The latest from Nuno ahead of the weekend. 🗣️

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) March 6, 2025

Team News for Nottingham Forest v Manchester City

Nuno was cagey when asked about his squad ahead of the game, simply saying he would “assess” the players beforehand but it is not thought they have any fresh concerns. He is likely to recall the likes of Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson, who were rested for the FA Cup tie with Ipswich.

Several of City’s big-name players were also rested for last weekend’s FA Cup win over Plymouth at the Etihad so the likes of Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush and Josko Gvardiol ought to be fresh.

Nathan Ake underwent surgery on a fractured foot during the week after aggravating it against Plymouth. The Netherlands international will miss the rest of the season.

His fellow centre-halves John Stones and Manuel Akanji are also missing till April so new signings Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis are likely to be involved.

Predicted Line-ups for Nottingham Forest v Manchester City