The Round 18 Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City will take place on 27 December at the City Ground. Nottingham Forest – Manchester City: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Nottingham Forest
Sean Dyche's side travelled to Fulham in the last round and lost 0-1, conceding the only goal from the penalty spot. It was their second consecutive away defeat without scoring in the Premier League, while between those matches the club recorded a comprehensive 3-0 home victory over Tottenham. Interestingly, Forest have avoided draws in seven consecutive league fixtures (4 wins, 3 defeats). The club sit 17th but have extended their cushion above the relegation zone to five points. Nottingham also struggle upfront, having scored just 17 goals this season — only Wolverhampton (9) have a worse attacking record.
- At least one team failed to score in six of the club's previous Premier League matches.
- Nottingham Forest have not won in 12 of their last 16 league matches (3 draws, 9 defeats).
- At least three goals were scored in six of the last eight home Premier League games involving Forest.
Probable Nottingham Forest lineup (4-5-1)*
John Victor – Nicolo Savona, Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic, Neco Williams – Douglas Luiz, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Omari Hutchinson, Callum Hudson-Odoi – Igor Jesus.
Midfielder Ryan Yates, defender Ola Aina and striker Chris Wood are sidelined through injury. Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangare have departed to join their national teams for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Manchester City
The Citizens hosted West Ham last weekend and dispatched the visitors comfortably with a 3-0 victory. Remarkably, that was City's third successive Premier League win by the same scoreline. Guardiola's team have taken full advantage of an accommodating run of fixtures against opponents currently below seventh place, converting five such games into five wins — scoring at least three in each. The club remain hot on Arsenal's heels, trailing by just two points.
- Three or more goals were scored in each of the previous eight Premier League matches involving Manchester City.
- The club have opened the scoring in their last five league games.
- City failed to score more than two goals in 12 of their previous 15 away Premier League matches.
Probable Manchester City lineup (4-3-2-1)*
Gianluigi Donnarumma – Mateus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Joško Gvardiol, Niko O’Riley – Nico González, Bernardo Silva, Tijjani Reijnders – Ryan Cherki, Phil Foden – Erling Haaland.
Defender John Stones and midfielders Oscar Bobb, Mateo Kovacic and Rodri Hernandez, as well as forward Jeremy Doku, are unavailable through injury. Defender Ryan Ait-Nouri and forward Omar Marmoush have joined their national team camps.
Referee
Robert Jones (England)
Matches – 10 (Premier League, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 37;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.7;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 20%.
Prediction for Nottingham Forest – Manchester City
Under Sean Dyche, Nottingham have improved their fundamentals but remain short of peak form. They still struggle on the road and lack consistency at home. Forest will lean on the City Ground and the crowd, yet overcoming the rampant Citizens looks almost impossible. At home, Nottingham have managed just three wins in their last 12 Premier League matches (2 draws, 7 defeats).
Manchester City, meanwhile, are ruthless against sides from the lower half of the table, regularly scoring three or more goals. Stopping Guardiola’s team will be extremely difficult — the visitors are firmly in contention for the top spot and are not going to surrender ground to Arsenal. It is also worth noting that in the last six Premier League meetings between the sides, City have taken four victories, several of them clean sheets.
My prediction – Manchester City to win
* For each team, the starting XI shown is from their previous match in this competition.
