
It's 3rd vs 4th in the Premier League Saturday lunch time kick-off as Nottingham Forest host champions Manchester City. Can Nuno Santo's side continue to defy the odds, or will Pep Guardiola make it two wins against Forest this season? Let's dive in.
Forest's magnificent home form
With just 11 games to go, Forest fans are daring to dream that their teams heroic efforts can bring Champions League football to the City Ground. However, with just four points from their last five matches, the gap is getting ever smaller in behind and they need to return to winning ways as soon as possible.
The good news is that Forest are back at home, where they haven't lost since November 2024. Aston Villa, Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal have all left the City Ground without a win since Newcastle beat them 3-1. They managed to draw with Man City two seasons ago at home, but this is a big ask against a side that has a good record against them.
City getting back in their groove
Man City's road to redemption is back on track having picked up victories against Newcastle and Spurs without conceding. As a result, Pep Guardiola's side are now back in the top four, and a win against Forest would lift them into 3rd. After such a poor start to the season, they've done well to turn things around.
Erling Haaland has been at the heart of their success once more, who's now hit 20 goals for the third season in a row since moving to the Premier League, and having scored last season in this fixture, no doubt he'll be looking for his 21st on Saturday.
Aside from that historic 1-1 draw for Forest that helped keep them up two seasons ago, it has been one way traffic in terms of results in favour of Man City. They've won the other four matches since Forest returned to the Premier League, including a 2-0 victory at the City Ground last campaign.
Even when Man City couldn't buy a point earlier in the campaign, they rolled Forest over 3-0, who showed them too much respect at the Etihad. If the hosts make a slow start once again, they could find themselves in trouble against a side so deadly in the final third.
With Man City bridging the gap on both Nottingham Forest and Arsenal, and with the hosts struggling to pick up three points, there looks to be plenty of value with the visitors.
Three wins in a row for Pep
Man City appear to have turned a corner. There's still a long road to recovery, but their January signings have certainly helped shift the mood within the camp on and off the pitch.
Forest will need to be wary of new signing Omar Marmoush, who's impressed since signing from Frankfurt, as well as Savinho and Jeremy Doku who have over 10 assists combined this campaign. Those three, alongside Erling Haaland, can seriously hurt teams who aren't 100% at the races.
And Forest are one of those teams at present. Cheap goals conceded against Southampton, Newcastle, Fulham and Bournemouth are worrying signs for fans, and having played an extra 30 minutes in the FA Cup on Monday night certainly wouldn't have helped.
The Reds displayed a more convincing performance in their 0-0 draw vs Arsenal, but the Gunners were without a forward on the night, and a team like Man City that has talent in abundance would have punished them. This is what we may well witness on Saturday afternoon, especially if Forest don't cut out silly mistakes which have crept into their game of late.
There aren't many occasions you'll find Man City close to evens - especially in the Premier League - and especially against a non "top six" side. And with their record against Forest, who are struggling a little at present, the visitors can leapfrog them into 3rd. Back Man City to win at 9/10 with bet365. Good luck if you're following.

Users must be 18+. If you are having trouble with gambling then help and advice can be found at begambleaware.org. Please Play Responsibly.