Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest – News and Probable Lineups

The momentum of Manchester City in the latter part of the season is undeniable, and the Sky Blues aim for their fifth consecutive Premier League victory in Wednesday’s encounter against Nottingham Forest at the Etihad.

Pep Guardiola’s squad narrowly defeated Leeds United 1-0 on Saturday, keeping their title aspirations alive, while the Tricky Trees suffered a 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Match overview

With Erling Haaland unavailable, Manchester City turned to new signing Antoine Semenyo, who stepped up impressively to score in Saturday’s match against a revitalized Leeds side at Elland Road.

A recent injury kept Haaland from participating against the team from his birthplace, but just before halftime, Semenyo found the net with a header from Rayan Ait-Nouri’s cross, continuing Manchester City’s impressive winning streak.

Now on a run of six consecutive victories across all competitions – including four in their last four Premier League fixtures – the Sky Blues are currently five points behind league leaders Arsenal, although they still have a game in hand over the Gunners.

The Etihad Stadium has remained a stronghold since their Champions League setback against Bayer Leverkusen in November, with City unbeaten in their last 13 home games, winning the last seven.

Moreover, Wednesdays have been particularly successful for Guardiola in the Premier League; the Catalan boss has won 24 of 26 top-flight home matches on that day, averaging an impressive 2.85 points per match.

It is certainly an understatement to say that the odds are heavily stacked in Manchester City’s favor this week, especially since Nottingham Forest’s latest manager – Vitor Pereira – has yet to spark a turnaround in their domestic form.

A remarkable win against Fenerbahce in the Europa League has proven to be more of a fleeting moment for the Garibaldi, who have lost all three matches that followed their impressive 3-0 victory in Turkiye, although their 2-1 second-leg defeat didn’t affect their progression in the competition.

Pereira’s team was arguably unlucky to lose 1-0 to Liverpool, but Brighton fairly earned their 2-1 victory at the Amex, where Forest needed their returning goalkeeper Matz Sels to avoid further humiliation on the South Coast.

With Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United also failing to secure points over the weekend, the relegation situation remains unchanged, with the 17th-placed Tricky Trees just two points above the Irons and two points below the Europa League champions with 10 matches remaining.

Having experienced a dismal tenure at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Pereira has yet to achieve a single Premier League victory in 2025-26, enduring defeats in 10 out of 12 encounters, and to exacerbate matters for Forest, they have succumbed to three consecutive losses away to Manchester City, conceding a total of 11 goals without reply.

Team News

Supporters of Manchester City are eagerly awaiting updates on Haaland’s condition; Guardiola has indicated that the Norwegian’s issue is not related to his knee and is believed to be minor, but his participation on Wednesday remains uncertain.

The home coach will need to assess Nico O’Reilly at the last moment, as he suffered an ankle injury at Elland Road, while Croatian players Mateo Kovacic (foot) and Josko Gvardiol (calf) are confirmed absentees for the Citizens.

Should O’Reilly be unable to play, either Tijjani Reijnders or Phil Foden is likely to take his place, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Rodri replaced by Nico Gonzalez due to the congested fixture schedule.

On the other hand, Forest’s goalkeeper Stefan Ortega may miss the opportunity to face his former club Manchester City due to a recent calf injury suffered in the Europa League, although Sels has made a complete recovery from a groin issue at an opportune time.

Ortega is among five fitness concerns for Forest, alongside John Victor (knee), Chris Wood (knee), Willy Boly (unspecified), and Nicolo Savona (knee), none of whom are expected to return in the near future.

Full-back Neco Williams also seemed fatigued during the loss to Brighton, as he was substituted before the hour mark, but Pereira will likely recognize the necessity of fielding his strongest possible XI against the title contenders.

Manchester City probable starting XI

Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Gonzalez; Cherki, Reijnders, Foden, Semenyo; Marmoush

Nottingham Forest probable starting XI

Sales; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus

Though the injured Haaland and O’Reilly may be key goal threats for Manchester City at the moment, Guardiola still has many capable players who can step in for the pair.

Facing a fatigued Forest team whose display against Brighton left a lot to be desired, the Sky Blues are expected to navigate this challenge successfully to keep Arsenal on their toes.