Manchester City vs. Nottingham Forest: EPL Previews, odds and Predictions

Manchester City, who are currently not even in the championship hunt, will face a confidence-draining seven-game losing streak when Nottingham Forest visit the Etihad on Wednesday night.

On Sunday, Pep Guardiola's side lost 2-0 to the league leaders Liverpool, while the Tricky Trees got back on track with a 1-0 victory against Ipswich Town.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

As the usual "sacked in the morning" shouts erupted from the Anfield stands, a stubborn Guardiola mustered the will to raise a middle finger to the Liverpool audience. The City manager aimed to remind the celebratory Merseyside section of the times he won the land.

Man City had lost six of their previous seven games after Sunday's disappointing visit to Anfield. Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah scored to give Arne Slot's team a well-deserved victory.

Although City were lucky to remain in the game at halftime (Liverpool was their own worst enemy in the final third for much of the encounter), they still lost and fell 11 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League standings.

Every team that has held a six-point lead after thirteen games has gone on to win the title, so the Citizens, who have also been knocked out of the top four due to their worrying slump, would have to stage the greatest comeback in Premier League history if they want to complete an incredible five-peat.

The crisis club under Guardiola is reeling from its first Premier League losing streak since 2008, which included a humiliating home loss to Tottenham Hotspur. It might lose its next two top-flight home games for the first time since May 2021.

Midweek, City faces Ipswich Town, and Forest ended their losing streak after defeating Arsenal and Newcastle United. City might lose their sixth consecutive Premier League match.

Chris Wood, a New Zealand hotshot who tied Bryan Roy for the most Premier League goals scored by a Forest player with 24 for the club, scored an early penalty in the second half to seal the deal, even if Nuno Espirito Santo's team didn't exactly shine.

With only one Etihad goal separating him from an unprecedented 25, Wood travels to Manchester chasing an off-kilter Erling Haaland in the hunt for the Golden Boot. He scored nine goals in Forest's sixteen attempts during their surprising early push for European spots.

Forest goes to the Etihad Stadium with the joint-third-best away record in the league this season. After six road games, they have 11 points on rival soil, just behind Liverpool's 16 and Chelsea's 13. They are now in sixth position, one point behind Wednesday's hosts.

Nevertheless, Forest hasn't triumphed against Man City since the 2008–09 FA Cup. Since their promotion to the Premier League in 2022, Man City has a record of three wins and a tie against the Tricky Trees, including two 2-0 victories in the 2023–24 season.

Manchester City x Nottingham Forest Team News

Jeremy Doku's comeback from a thigh injury was the lone bright spot for City in Sunday's meeting. However, the hosts need Rodri (ACL), Oscar Bobb (leg), Mateo Kovacic (unspecified), and John Stones (foot).

Guardiola should have regarded Doku as a possible substitute after he gave the Citizens' lethargic attack some life against Anfield. Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne were brought off the bench at Liverpool in the 79th minute.

Ederson is likely to replace Stefan Ortega in goal after a surprising weekend trade, and the City coach has indicated that he might play Grealish centrally to help his team's inventiveness.

To round up Forest's injury issues, Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White recovered in time to play against Ipswich. This leaves Danilo (ankle) and Ibrahim Sangare (hamstring) as the sole long-term absentees for the visitors.

Jota Silva, who replaced Elanga after the Arsenal loss, had a significant effect. He earned a penalty that Wood converted early in the second half, while Elanga only got a short run-out from the bench due to his shoulder injury.

Even if the Portuguese winger should have earned a starting spot at the Etihad Stadium after his performance against Ipswich, habitual left-back Alex Moreno might start in his place, replacing Neco Williams.

Our Predictions

Manchester City is to win, and both teams are to score @ 2.70 on Sky247.ng

Despite City's unexpected dip, no club should go into Saturday's match at the Etihad and expect to lose. Forest, unlike Arsenal, has been superb on the road this season and could give Guardiola's squad a fight for their money.

We can now see the champs ending their dismal streak. However, by a razor-thin margin, the Citizens manager can include some crafty wingers and creative hubs in a significantly revamped attack.

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