Nottingham Forest host Manchester City at the City Ground still searching for their first points at home this season.
Nottingham Forest have created a piece of unwanted history this season. They are one of only five teams in the history of the English top flight to have failed to score in their first four home league games, accumulating 70 shots at the City Ground across all competitions without a single goal to show for it.
Manchester City, by contrast, have won seven of their nine Premier League matches and arrive on the back of two consecutive league defeats, the kind of pressure that tends to bring out their best attacking football. Forest's struggles in front of goal at the City Ground, combined with Haaland's relentless return at the other end, makes this a fixture where City look well-positioned to dominate.
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Bet Builder Tip
Our Bet Builder Tip includes the following legs for the Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City game:
- Man City — Win Market
- Erling Haaland — Anytime Goalscorer
- Morgan Gibbs-White — Over 2.5 Shots
- Murillo dos Santos — Over 1.5 Shots
Best odds of 20/1 at bet365 at the time of posting.
The first leg backs Manchester City to win, which needs little explanation given the context. City have won seven of nine league games this season and travel to a Forest side sitting 19th with only one win from nine, scoring zero goals at home in the process. City also arrive stinging from back-to-back league defeats, which under Enzo Maresca tends to sharpen their attacking intent considerably.
The second leg backs Erling Haaland to score at any point. He's found the net in seven of his last eight games, leads the Premier League scoring charts with nine goals, and has already scored five Premier League goals against Forest in his career. Forest's shot accuracy rate at the City Ground is just 14.5% this season, the lowest of any home side in the top flight, meaning City are unlikely to be stretched defensively and Haaland should get the kind of service that has consistently produced goals this term.
The third leg backs Morgan Gibbs-White for over 2.5 shots. This line has cleared in four of his last six appearances against Manchester City specifically, and his shot counts this season read 3, 2, 2, 0, 2, 3, 1 and 3, showing he consistently gets into shooting positions regardless of the opposition. His numbers against City in particular, 3, 0, 3, 4, 1, 3, 3, 1 and 1, show how regularly he tests himself in this fixture. With Forest needing to generate threat from somewhere at the City Ground, Gibbs-White remains their most likely outlet and his shot volume against this opponent makes the line appealing.
The fourth leg backs Murillo dos Santos for over 1.5 shots. The Brazilian centre-back has cleared this line in four of his last five games, with his shot counts this season reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 2, 0, 2, 1 and 0, and at the City Ground specifically 3, 2, 2 and 0 from his home appearances. With Forest unable to score from open play, set pieces and long efforts from deep have become one of their few consistent attacking outlets, and Murillo's willingness to arrive forward and get shots away makes him a reliable source of attempts even in games where the team as a whole is under sustained pressure.
Nottingham Forest vs Man City Team News and Predicted Lineup
Nottingham Forest have received a boost with Igor Jesus returning to training following a calf injury. The Brazilian striker is in contention to feature, although his involvement from the start remains uncertain. Nicolas Dominguez is unavailable after suffering a recurrence of his hamstring injury. He is expected to be sidelined for an extended period.
Nicolo Savona is another fitness concern, having only recently returned to training following a knee problem. His availability remains uncertain. Oliver Glasner could make changes to his starting XI following the disappointing defeat against Brentford, with Daniel Munoz potentially coming into the side at right wing-back. Liam Delap is expected to lead the attack, supported by Morgan Gibbs-White and Dan Ndoye.
Nottingham Forest predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Sels; Jair Cunha, Milenkovic, Murillo; Daniel Munoz, James McAtee, Xaver Schlager, Neco Williams; Dan Ndoye, Morgan Gibbs-White; Liam Delap.
Manchester City team news
Manchester City have a relatively clean bill of health heading into their trip to Nottingham. Antoine Semenyo is the major absentee after picking up a knee injury. The forward is expected to spend an extended period on the sidelines, with reports suggesting he could be unavailable for around eight weeks.
Nico O'Reilly is also a doubt after struggling with back and knee problems. His availability will depend on his recovery, although he is not expected to be risked if he is not fully fit. City otherwise have a strong squad available, with several players expected to return to the starting XI after being rested for the midweek Champions League fixture. Rúben Dias and Joško Gvardiol are expected to return to the defence, while Jeremy Doku could also be recalled to the starting lineup.
Rayan Cherki is another player pushing for a starting spot after featuring prominently in City's recent attacking performances. Erling Haaland is expected to lead the line as City look to rediscover their domestic goalscoring form.
Manchester City predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Abdukodir Khusanov, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol; Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez; Iliman Ndiaye, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku; Erling Haaland.
Nottingham Forest v Man City Correct Score Tip
Manchester City should have enough attacking quality to secure all three points at the City Ground, although this is unlikely to be a straightforward encounter. Forest have struggled considerably in front of goal, failing to score in their five home league matches this season. Their inability to convert chances has been a major concern, particularly given their relatively impressive shot volume.
City, meanwhile, have lost their last two Premier League matches and will be desperate to avoid a third consecutive league defeat. Their midweek 3-2 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig should provide a timely confidence boost.
Erling Haaland remains the biggest threat. The Norwegian has nine Premier League goals and will fancy his chances against a Forest defence that has conceded regularly.
However, City's own defensive vulnerabilities cannot be ignored. They have conceded 14 goals in their last seven matches across all competitions, giving Forest some encouragement.
Match Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-3 Manchester City
