Nottingham Forest welcome Manchester City to the City Ground for a 12:30pm kick off on Saturday 27th December. City arrive here just two points behind leaders Arsenal, while Forest sit 17th, five points clear of the relegation zone. Find our match preview and best bets below.
Best Bets & Predictions
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City to Win to Nil | 2/1 @ SBK (33.3%) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Pep Guardiola’s side are really starting to roll this season and have now put together a string of seven consecutive victories across all competitions. Arsenal will be looking nervously over their shoulder and with Erling Haaland looking unstoppable, it could spell trouble for Forest. Although much improved under Sean Dyche, the hosts could struggle against an attack spearheaded by Erling Haaland. City have won four of their last five without conceding and can do so again here. |
| Rayan Cherki Anytime Assist | 7/2 @ SBK (22.2%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Rayan Cherki is really starting to find his feet at Manchester City and has put in some exceptional displays over the last few weeks. The Frenchman was on the scoresheet with a beauty of a strike against Brentford last week in the League Cup quarter-final, but it’s the anytime assist market that we like his price on Saturday. Cherki has recorded four assists in his last 262 minutes of Premier League football, and looks a nice price here to make it seven in the league since his switch to City. |
Odds correct at the time of writing.
How both teams head into Nottingham Forest vs Man City
Things have really picked up at the City Ground since the arrival of Sean Dyche at the end of October. The former Burnley and Everton boss has won seven of his 12 games in charge of the club, and has put some daylight between themselves and the relegation zone. Forest have also achieved back-to-back victories in Europe and will be keen to push on domestically and try and reach the top-half of the table.
Manchester City are looming large behind Arsenal in the Premier League table. At Christmas, just two points separate the pair, with the title race shaping up to be thrilling. City arrive here off the back of a comfortable 3-0 home win against West Ham last weekend, and will know they can put severe pressure on Arsenal, with Guardiola’s side featuring in the early kick-off before Arsenal on Saturday.
Nottingham Forest team news
Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangare are both away at AFCON. Ola Aina and Chris Wood will both miss out with injuries.
Man City team news
Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush are on international duty. Oscar Bobb, Rodri, Jeremy Doku and John Stones are all injured.
Season Form & Standings
| Team | Pos | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | 2 | 17 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 41 | 16 | +25 | 37 |
| Nottingham Forest | 17 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 25 | -8 | 18 |
Head-to-Head: Last 7 Meetings
Manchester City have dominated this fixture, winning five of the last seven encounters, outscoring Forest 16-2 in that stretch. Forest’s sole win came at home last season, but City have won three of their last four meetings in all competitions.
| Date | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 27/04/25 | Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester City | FA Cup |
| 08/03/25 | Nottingham Forest 1-0 Manchester City | Premier League |
| 04/12/24 | Manchester City 3-0 Nottingham Forest | Premier League |
| 28/04/24 | Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester City | Premier League |
| 23/09/23 | Manchester City 2-0 Nottingham Forest | Premier League |
| 18/02/23 | Nottingham Forest 1-1 Manchester City | Premier League |
| 31/08/22 | Manchester City 6-0 Nottingham Forest | Premier League |
Conclusion
City look a little short in the match result market at just 4/7. However, after four clean sheets in their last five and seven consecutive victories, taking the visitors to win the game to nil at a much more palatable 2/1, looks the way forward here.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
