The Matchday 14 Premier League clash between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest will take place on December 4 at the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City vs. Nottingham Forest: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
Matches – 11 (Premier League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 54;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.9;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 0%.
Predicted lineups for Manchester City vs. Nottingham Forest
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Stefan Ortega – Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Kyle Walker – Ilkay Gundogan, Rico Lewis – Matheus Nunes, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva – Erling Haaland.
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Matz Sels – Ola Aina, Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic, Neco Williams – Elliot Anderson, Ryan Yates – Callum Hudson-Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White, Jota Silva – Chris Wood.
Each team's starting lineup from their previous match in this tournament is listed.
Manchester City
The team lost their last match to Liverpool with a score of 0-2. This marked their fourth consecutive defeat in the league, causing the Citizens to drop to fifth place in the standings and fall 11 points behind Liverpool. Notably, Manchester City hasn't lost this many matches in a row in the Premier League since August 2008. Furthermore, this is the first time in Pep Guardiola's managerial career that he has lost four consecutive games.
Midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Rodri Hernandez, as well as forward Oscar Bobb, are sidelined due to injuries.
- No more than three goals have been scored in 5 of Manchester City's last 6 Premier League matches.
- The club has not scored more than one goal in any of their last five Premier League games.
- Both teams have scored in 8 of the Citizens' last 10 home matches in the league.
Nottingham Forest
In the last round, Nottingham defeated Ipswich 1-0 at home. Before that, the team lost to Newcastle (1-3) and Arsenal (0-3). In the current league, the club has only lost two consecutive matches once. Nuno Espirito Santo's side trails the Citizens by one point, has fewer defeats (3 compared to 4), and has conceded six fewer goals. Notably, Nottingham Forest boasts the second-best defense in the Premier League (only Liverpool has conceded fewer).
- The club has not lost in 11 of their last 14 league matches (7 wins and 4 draws).
- No more than three goals have been scored in 6 of Nottingham Forest's last 8 Premier League games.
- Nottingham has not won any first halves away in the current Premier League (4 draws and 2 losses).
Manchester City vs. Nottingham Forest: Match Prediction
Pep Guardiola has no replacements for central midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Rodri Hernandez, who are out indefinitely due to injuries. Another team leader, Kevin De Bruyne, has yet to regain form. With just two or three players missing, Manchester City is struggling. I believe the Mancunians will face difficulties in the upcoming match, as Nottingham boasts an excellent defense, and breaking down such defensive lines has recently been challenging for the Citizens – they haven't scored more than one goal in their last five league matches.
Nottingham Forest is closer than ever to European competitions. The city eagerly awaits their beloved team to play at the continental level again. The team has gained good momentum and performs well away, having played six matches in the current Premier League and only losing to Arsenal. Notably, the club has the third-best away record in the league based on points lost. I believe today's Manchester City cannot defeat Nottingham by a comfortable margin, especially since the Citizens have not won by a margin of two or more goals in their last 10 Premier League matches. Moreover, Nuno Espirito Santo's side has not lost by more than one goal in 14 of their last 16 Premier League games.
My prediction – Nottingham Forest with a handicap (+1.5)
