Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City: Battle for top four heats up

Outgoing Premier League champions Manchester City face a stern test when they travel to the City Ground on Saturday 8 March to take on top four hopefuls Nottingham Forest.

At the start of the 2024/25 season, many would have labelled this fixture as a City banker, but with just three months to go, it is Forest who find themselves ahead in the league standings.  

For those interested in having a punt on the game, goals are expected between these two attacking sides. But first, make sure you’re signed up with one of the top betting sites with the best welcome bonuses.

The oddsmakers have City as the favourites heading into the weekend clash, but Pep Guardiola’s men will need to be wary of the threat posed by Nuno Espirito Santo’s side and their in-form talisman Chris Wood.

Nottingham Forest’s Home Form

Currently third in the English Premier League table, Nottingham Forest have been excellent this season, particularly at home. The Tricky Trees have registered some memorable wins, including victories over Aston Villa and Tottenham while they drew with Liverpool. 

Their best performance at the City Ground though was undoubtedly against Brighton where they inflicted a 7-0 thrashing, with Wood netting a hat-trick. Taking points away at Forest is going to prove incredibly difficult for Guardiola’s side. 

Manchester City’s Torrid Away Form

Manchester City have had their wobbles this season, especially on their travels. The Sky Blues went five away games without a win from November to December, suffering three road defeats in a row. The Citizens have lost on their trips to Bournemouth, Brighton, Liverpool, and Aston Villa and were thrashed 5-1 at Arsenal on February 2. In addition to that, they dropped points at Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Brentford – all draws.

Why Manchester City Can Still Be Confident

Despite Nottingham Forest’s superb form this season, they are not unbeatable. The likes of Fulham, Newcastle United, Arsenal and Bournemouth have taken maximum points off them, while the Sky Blues beat them 3-0 when they met in December. That was City’s fourth win in five meetings against Forest and their third in a row, highlighting their recent dominance over the Tricky Trees. 

Where the Game Will Be Won and Lost?

A highly entertaining match between two attacking sides could be a case of which frontline can outperform the other. Much of the focus will be on the two in-form strikers Wood and Erling Haaland. Both are likely to get chances to score but taking those opportunities will be key. Both teams’ defensive lines will play a vital role in determining the outcome of the match. 

Prediction: Who Will Come Out on Top?

Neither side will want to drop points which could lead to an end-to-end game of football. We think there could be goals galore at the City Ground, but in terms of a result, we’re backing the Sky Blues to edge out a hard-fought encounter.