Man City vs. Nottingham Forest: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Manchester City are gunning for a seventh consecutive win in all competitions when they welcome Nottingham Forest to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

There was no change at the top of the Premier League table after City claimed what felt like a significant away victory at Leeds United, as Arsenal responded by edging past Chelsea 2–1 the following day.

Thus, Pep Guardiola’s side still trail the Gunners by five points, having played a game fewer. While many have doubted City’s capacity to embark on one of their vintage winning runs during this season‘s run-in, the once-perennial champions are seemingly developing an imperious groove in crunch time.

They’re next facing a Forest team that recently pivoted to ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Vitor Pereira after parting ways with Sean Dyche. The new manager guided Forest into the Europa League round of 16, but he hasn’t yet had the desired effect domestically.

Back-to-back defeats means Wednesday’s visitors remain in a precarious position just above the drop zone, with West Ham United only two points worse off with 10 games to go.

Man City vs. Nottingham Forest Score Prediction

Cityzens Avoid Midweek Banana Skin

Gianluigi Donnarumma — Man City’s winning momentum continued at Elland Road on Saturday. | Joe Prior/Visionhaus/Getty Images

The hosts have no business faltering on Wednesday night against an opponent that looks destined for the drop. Pereira’s side hurt Liverpool without reward two weekends ago, but they were comfortably second-best at Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend.

If they are to survive, Forest will lean heavily on their remaining home games. This midweek fixture is a free hit for them, which could be dangerous for City, in a way.

Nevertheless, City look stable and composed. They’ve been here before and are unlikely to let the significance of each of their remaining fixtures get the better of them, which can’t be said for the current league leaders.

Forest’s Etihad woes: Man City have won the previous three meetings against Forest on home soil by an aggregate score of 11–0. The visitors have never triumphed at this particular stadium, and are without a win away at City since 1989.
Erling Haaland’s back: The Cityzens have not relied on their leading scorer amid their current winning run, but his likely comeback from injury on Wednesday will nonetheless serve as a big boost for the home side. He’ll be chomping at the bit to return to the score sheet as soon as possible.
Winning momentum: City are so hard to stop when they discover a winning habit. Guardiola’s side look more stable and settled compared to the first half of the season, and this is typically the point in the campaign when they lock in and rattle off a silly number of wins in succession.

Prediction: Man City 3–1 Nottingham Forest

Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Nottingham Forest

The Premier League’s top scorer, Erling Haaland, was a surprise absentee at Elland Road on Saturday, but Antoine Semenyo’s strike just before half-time ensured they didn’t falter in the title race.

Guardiola has said Haaland is feeling “much better” ahead of Wednesday’s game, and a decision will be made regarding his inclusion after training on Tuesday. The same goes for Nico O’Reilly, who took a knock to the ankle in the second half against Leeds.

Phil Foden could be recalled if O’Reilly isn’t fit to start. The English playmaker didn’t feature off the bench on Saturday evening and has struggled his way through 2026 so far.

City are otherwise unlikely to welcome any players back. Max Alleyne is a doubt with a knock, while Joško Gvardiol and Mateo Kovačić remain out with ankle injuries.

Man City predicted lineup vs. Nott’m Forest (4-2-2-2): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guéhi, Aït-Nouri; Silva, Rodri; Cherki, Foden; Semenyo, Haaland.

Nottingham Forest Predicted Lineup vs. Man City

Matz Sels returned to action earlier than advised at the weekend after Stefan Ortega picked up a calf injury that ruled him out of contention. Ortega won’t be fit to return midweek, so a potentially half-fit Sels will likely get the nod over Angus Gunn. John Victor misses the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Forest also confirmed on Tuesday that full back Nicolò Savona has undergone surgery to fix a nagging issue. It remains to be seen whether the Italian will play again before the summer.

Igor Jesus has carried the load up front in Chris Wood’s absence, and last season’s top scorer isn’t expected to be back fit until April. Willy Boly is another player missing for the away side.

Nott’m Forest predicted lineup vs. Man City (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenković, Murillo, Netz; Sangaré, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus.

What Time Does Man City vs. Nottingham Forest Kick Off?

Location: Manchester, England
Stadium: Etihad Stadium
Date: Wednesday, March 4
Kick-off Time: 7:30 p.m. GMT / 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT
Referee: Darren England
VAR: Tony Harrington

How to Watch Man City vs. Nottingham Forest on TV, Live Stream

Country	TV Channel/Live Strean
United States	Peacock
United Kingdom	TNT Sports 4, discovery+, discovery+ App
Canada	DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 4 Canada
Mexico	FOX One

MORE: Full list of Premier League broadcasters around the world