Nottingham Forest vs Man City - Premier League: TV channel, team news, lineups & prediction
By Euan Burns
Manchester City will hope to take a firm grip on the Premier League title race on Saturday when they face off against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
Pep Guardiola's side made it to the top of the table for the first time since the second weekend of the season after beating Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates on Wednesday night.
Arsenal may have a game in hand, but City are where they feel most comfortable and a win against Forest would suggest a run of form is being built.
Forest's ambitions are more modest but nonetheless important. Having seen an upturn in form take them away from the relegation zone, their job now is to ensure they build enough of a gap that they are not in the scrap come the end of the season.
Here 90min's preview of the game.
Where are Nottingham Forest vs Man City playing?
- Location: Nottingham, England
- Stadium: City Ground
- Date: Saturday 18 February
- Kick-off Time: 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET / 07:00 PT
- Referee: Graham Scott
- VAR: Peter Bankes
Nottingham Forest vs Man City H2H Results (Last Five Games)
- Nottingham Forest: 1 win
- Man City: 3 wins
- Draws: 1
Current Form (Last Five Games)
- Nottingham Forest: WWDWL
- Man City: WWLWW
How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Man City on TV and live stream
Country | Television Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | BBC Radio 5 Live |
United States | SiriusXM FC, Peacock |
Canada | fuboTV Canada |
Nottingham Forest team news
There are plenty of injury concerns for Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper to contend with, particularly in central defence. Scott McKenna is expected to miss six to eight weeks after going off against Fulham, while it's even worse news for Willy Boly - he could miss the remainder of the season.
Dean Henderson, Moussa Niakhate, Taiwo Awoniyi, Giulian Biancone, Omar Richards and Cheikhou Kouyate are out, with Jesse Lingard also doubtful with a knee problem. Ryan Yates could return from illness as Jonjo Shelvey pushes for a first start after joining from Newcastle.
Nottingham Forest predicted lineup vs Man City
Nottingham Forest predicted lineup (4-3-3): Navas; Aurier, Worrall, Felipe, Lodi; Danilo, Freuler, Shelvey; Gibbs-White; Johnson, Wood.
Man City team news
The treatment room is a lot less busy at Manchester City as the only real concern for Guardiola is John Stones. The England centre-back has a hamstring injury and it would be a big surprise if he played any part in Nottingham.
There could be a raft of changes in defence as Guardiola keeps an eye on Wednesday's Champions League clash against RB Leipzig - the likes of Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji and Aymeric Laporte could start.
Man City predicted lineup vs Nottingham Forest
Man City predicted lineup (3-2-4-1): Ederson; Lewis, Dias, Laporte; Rodri, Bernardo; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish; Haaland.
Nottingham Forest vs Man City score prediction
There was a real title-winning aura about the way City played against Arsenal in midweek and now that they are on top of the Premier League, it is hard to imagine them letting that slip at the first opportunity.
City traditionally assert dominance over teams scrapping against relegation, and though Nottingham Forest are playing well, it will take a monumental effort to get a positive result given their injury problems.
Chuck Erling Haaland's goal record into the mix and you fear it could be a one-sided affair if City score early.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-3 Man City