Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Prediction | Premier League 2025/26 | EPL Prediction | Dec 27 – Will Man City’s Winning Streak Crush Relegation-Threatened Forest?

The festive fixtures come thick and fast, and the City Ground is set to host a fascinating collision of footballing ideologies this Saturday. The stakes are wildly different but equally desperate; the hosts are scraping their way out of the relegation mire, currently sitting 16th, while the visitors are hunting down Arsenal in a relentless title pursuit. Sean Dyche’s men arrive with renewed confidence, currently on a two-match winning streak, while the reigning champions have been imperious, winning four on the bounce with a glut of goals.

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Match Details at a Glance

Injury News and Suspensions

Nottingham Forest

Sean Dyche is currently navigating a full-blown crisis in the treatment room, which makes their recent form even more impressive. The attack has been decimated with top scorer Chris Wood and powerhouse Taiwo Awoniyi both sidelined until late December, likely missing this tie. Ryan Yates is out until the New Year with a hamstring issue, removing bite from the midfield. Defensive concerns linger too, with Ola Aina out and goalkeeper Matz Sels listed as doubtful with a groin injury.

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola is not immune to selection headaches either. The most glaring omission remains the midfield metronome Rodri, who is suffering from a lack of fitness and isn’t expected back until January. He is joined by Mateo Kovacic (ankle), leaving the defensive midfield area looking unusually light. John Stones (muscle) and Jérémy Doku (leg) are also out, removing key options for defensive versatility and attacking width respectively.

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Head-to-Head Records

Form Guide

Nottingham Forest

After a shaky start to the campaign, the Tricky Trees are finally showing the resilience associated with their manager. Sitting 16th as of December 20, 2025, they have managed to pull away from the drop zone thanks to a return to defensive pragmatism. Dyche has simplified the game plan: stay compact, force the opposition wide, and capitalize on set-pieces. While they lack creativity from open play, exacerbated by injuries to key forwards, their organization has been stellar.

Manchester City

The Cityzens are in ominous form. Sitting second and breathing down Arsenal’s neck, they have clicked into a higher gear, scoring at least three goals in each of their last four league outings. Guardiola has tweaked his system again, focusing on direct dribbling and quicker transitions to counter the low blocks they face weekly. Erling Haaland remains the inevitable termination point of their attacks, but the creative burden is being beautifully shouldered by Phil Foden.

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Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Key Battles

Murillo vs Erling Haaland

Based on the players available, a likely key duel is in the heart of the Forest defense. Murillo has been one of the few shining lights for the hosts in terms of ball-playing ability and aggression. However, he faces the ultimate test in Erling Haaland. The Norwegian machine is in scoring form that borders on ridiculous. Murillo will need to be physically perfect, bumping Haaland off his stride without fouling, because if he gives the striker an inch of space in the box, it’s a goal.

Morgan Gibbs-White vs Matheus Nunes

In the middle of the park, the battle for transition control will be fascinating. Morgan Gibbs-White is the catalyst for everything positive the home side does. With Forest likely to see very little of the ball, Gibbs-White’s ability to receive possession, turn, and drive upfield is their only hope of relieving pressure. He will be operating in the spaces usually patrolled by Rodri, but instead, he faces Matheus Nunes. The Portuguese midfielder is a fantastic ball carrier but lacks the defensive discipline of Rodri.

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Tactical Outlook

Sean Dyche will not overcomplicate this. Expect a rigid 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1 formation designed to frustrate. Forest will surrender possession willingly, likely registering under 25% of the ball. The game plan will revolve around Milenkovic and Savona clearing crosses and looking for Igor Jesus to hold up play long enough to win a free-kick. Set-pieces will be their primary weapon; every corner will be treated like a penalty.

Pep Guardiola knows exactly what is coming. The visitors will set up to camp in the Forest half. With Donnarumma acting almost as a third center-back in possession, City will push Gvardiol and Dias high. The key tactical shift might be the use of Cherki and Reijnders in the half-spaces to unlock Dyche’s low block with quick, intricate combinations rather than just swinging crosses into a crowded box.

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Possible Playing Squad

Nottingham Forest XI: 

Victor (GK), Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Savona, Anderson, Sangaré, Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Igor Jesus

Manchester City XI:

Donnarumma (GK), Dias, Gvardiol, Nunes, Reijnders, O’Reilly, González, Cherki, Silva, Foden, Haaland

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Match Prediction

The City Ground is one of the few stadiums in England that can genuinely rattle top teams, and the crowd will be up for this. Dyche’s men have the organization to keep City quiet for spells, but the sheer volume of attacks eventually takes its toll. The visitors have too many match-winners, and even if Plan A fails, the bench (or a moment of Haaland magic) usually provides Plan B. Forest’s injury list, particularly up front, suggests they might struggle to punish City even if they do get chances on the break.

Score Prediction

Nottingham Forest 0–2 Manchester City; The champions will likely grind this out with a professional performance, breaking down the stubborn Forest wall eventually while keeping the hosts at arm’s length.