Nottingham Forest Set to Battle Man City: Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed
Manchester City, currently in blazing form, will travel south to the East Midlands this Saturday afternoon for a showdown with Nottingham Forest in their last fixture of the calendar year.
What initially appeared to be Arsenal's commanding lead at the summit of the Premier League table has transformed into a tight race thanks to City's resurgence. Pep Guardiola's squad has assembled five straight league wins to surge back into second position, trailing the table-toppers by merely two points.
During this impressive run, City also booked their place in the Carabao Cup final four and claimed a crucial victory over Real Madrid in Champions League action. The club now focuses on Nottingham Forest, their sole remaining adversary to face before 2025 concludes.
Sean Dyche's squad finds themselves hovering just above the drop zone following a frustrating 1–0 loss to Fulham. The Tricky Trees would relish nothing more than recovering with a positive result against the Citizens—particularly given City knocked Forest out of the 2024–25 FA Cup at the semifinal stage—but City's current momentum poses what appears to be an overwhelming obstacle for the 17th-positioned team.
Here is Sports Illustrated's comprehensive guide to this Premier League encounter.
What Time Does Nottingham Forest vs. Man City Kick Off?
Nottingham Forest vs. Man City Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
Current Form (All Competitions)
Nottingham Forest | Man City |
|---|---|
Fulham 1–0 Nottingham Forest - 22/12/25 | Man City 3–0 West Ham - 20/12/25 |
Nottingham Forest 3–0 Tottenham - 14/12/25 | Man City 2–0 Brentford - 17/12/25 |
FC Utrecht 1–2 Nottingham Forest - 11/12/25 | Crystal Palace 0–3 Man City - 14/12/25 |
Everton 3–0 Nottingham Forest - 6/12/25 | Real Madrid 1–2 Man City - 10/12/25 |
Wolves 0–1 Nottingham Forest - 3/12/25 | Man City 3–0 Sunderland - 6/12/25 |
How to Watch Nottingham Forest vs. Man City on TV, Live Stream
Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | TNT Sports One, TNT Sports Ultimate |
United States | USA Network, NBC Sports App, Sling TV |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada |
Mexico | FOX One |
Nottingham Forest Team News
Nottingham Forest continue to be without previous season's leading goalscorer Chris Wood, who sustained a knee problem in October. No return date has been established for the forward, keeping Igor Jesus as the team's primary striker for the coming period.
Dyche must also work around Ibrahim Sangaré's absence while the 28-year-old—alongside compatriot Willy Boly—represents the Ivory Coast at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Douglas Luiz is anticipated to partner with Elliot Anderson in the engine room once more.
The most significant choice, however, involves the goalkeeper position. Matz Sels has recovered from injury and appears favored to start despite John Victor's solid displays during his absence. Ola Aina and Ryan Yates remain unavailable for selection due to fitness concerns.
Nottingham Forest Predicted Lineup vs. Man City
Nottingham Forest predicted lineup vs. Man City (4-2-3-1): Sels; Savona, Milenković, Murillo, Williams; Luiz, Anderson; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus.
Man City Team News
Guardiola will remain without Omar Marmoush and Rayan Aït-Nouri for Saturday's encounter. Both players are on international duty with Egypt and Algeria respectively at the AFCON tournament.
The sidelined Oscar Bobb, Mateo Kovačić, Rodri and Jérémy Doku are all expected to conclude the year in the treatment room, creating opportunities for Nico González, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki to maintain their positions in Man City's starting eleven.
John Stones's availability remains uncertain. The centre-back has been absent for almost the complete month with a thigh problem, though there are positive signs regarding his rehabilitation. The England defender will undergo a final fitness assessment before his team's journey to the City Ground.
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Nottingham Forest
Man City predicted lineup vs. Nottingham Forest (4-1-4-1): Donnrumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Nico; Silva, Cherki, Foden, Reijnders; Haaland.
Nottingham Forest vs. Man City Score Prediction
Given their present momentum, Man City appear set to stride into the City Ground and secure a comfortable victory as a delayed Christmas gift. The Citizens have netted 18 times in December alone, and Forest lack the caliber to contain Haaland and his talented teammates.
The home side will struggle to find the net. Guardiola's team has allowed only one goal across their previous five fixtures, recording shutouts against Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Brentford and West Ham.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1–3 Man City