Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City — Saturday 7 November 2026, 17:30 GMT at the City Ground (Premier League Game week 10).⁠

League Positions and Stats:

  • Manchester City: 2nd in Premier League (21 points from 9 games: 7 wins, 0 draws, 2 losses; +10 GD, 20 goals scored, 10 conceded). They sit 3 points behind leaders Arsenal (24 points).⁠
  • Nottingham Forest: 19th (6 points from 9 games: 1 win, 3 draws, 5 losses; -6 GD, 6 goals scored, 12 conceded). They are in the relegation zone, just above bottom side Sunderland.

What to Watch For

This is a clear contrast in status and form. Man City started the season with seven straight Premier League wins but have since lost their last two (2-1 at Aston Villa and 0-1 at home to Brighton), dropping from top spot. They need a response to keep the title race alive. They also won 3-2 away at RB Leipzig in the Champions League midweek.⁠

Forest, under Oliver Glasner, have struggled badly. They are the joint-lowest scorers in the league and have failed to score in five of their nine games. At home they are particularly poor: 0 goals in 4 home Premier League matches this season (0 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses). Their last result was a 0-2 loss at Brentford.⁠

Key points of interest:

  • Erling Haaland: Man City’s main threat and a leading scorer. He has history against Forest but has gone blank in his last four meetings with them.
  • Elliot Anderson: Former Forest midfielder now at City; his return to the City Ground adds a subplot.
  • Forest’s attack: Gibbs-White, Ndoye (their top scorer), and Delap (or potentially Wood) need to finally click. Forest create a decent number of shots but lack clinical finishing.
  • City’s defence: It has looked vulnerable recently (no clean sheets in recent matches and goals conceded regularly across competitions). Forest may get chances on the counter.
  • Tactical setup: Forest are likely to use a 3-4-2-1; City a 4-2-3-1 with Donnarumma in goal and options like Dias, Gvardiol, Anderson, Fernández, Cherki, Doku, and Haaland.
  • Atmosphere and stakes: City Ground can be intense. Forest are desperate for points before the international break; City want to avoid a third consecutive league loss (something that last happened in 2016).

Most previews lean toward a narrow City win (common prediction 1-2), with City having the quality edge but not expected to dominate completely.⁠

Risks Man City vs Forest

  • For Man City: Fatigue from the midweek European trip; ongoing defensive openness that has let in goals; the historical rarity of three straight PL losses if things go badly; Haaland’s recent blank run against Forest.
  • For Forest: Chronic scoring problems (especially at home); injuries/absences (Nicolas Domínguez out long-term with a muscle issue, Nicolo Savona unavailable, Igor Jesus doubtful with a calf problem); pressure from Glasner’s public criticism of the squad after the Brentford defeat; risk of another goalless or low-scoring home display.
  • General match risks: City are clear favourites but not unbeatable given their recent league form. A tight, low-scoring game or a Forest point is plausible if the hosts defend solidly and City’s attack is wasteful. Over 2.5 goals is viewed as reasonably likely by some models due to City’s attacking output and defensive issues, though Forest’s home blank record pulls in the opposite direction.

Injuries note: City’s main absentee is Antoine Semenyo (knee, expected back mid-December). Forest are more disrupted in midfield and attack.⁠

The match is on Sky Sports in the UK and NBC/Peacock in the US. Expect a competitive evening fixture rather than a one-sided affair.