Nottingham Forest FC vs Manchester City FC, Premier League 2022-2023, Today Match Prediction

Nottingham Forest FC vs Manchester City FC Match Prediction & Analysis

Manchester City took a giant step to retain their Premier League crowd this week by beating Arsenal in a thrilling clash that reminded us all why we love football so much.

Pep Guardiola’s men now enjoy a small advantage over their title rivals, sitting on top of the league on goal difference at least. They could find themselves 2nd by the time this game kicks off, however.

Much has been made of City this season and how they don’t appear to be at their best. They know how to win trophies, however, at that experience will be crucial as we head into a key part of the season.

Nottingham Forest have transformed into a solid team of late, with Steve Cooper’s men now six points ahead of the relegation zone.

Their home form has been excellent of late and we can be sure that they’ll give Manchester City an excellent game.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Nottingham Forest FC Preview

Reasons to be cheerful:

     Unbeaten in their last seven league games at home

     Scored the opening goal in nine of their 11 home fixtures this season

Reasons to be fearful:

     Lost 6-0 in their first game against City this season

     Defeated in all five of their games against the top five teams this season

After occupying a spot in the bottom three for much of the earlier part of the season, Nottingham Forest have recovered well to become a solid Premier League team.

Steve Cooper’s men took a while to settle, with over 20 additions to the squad since last summer, but they now appear to have confidence in the direction they are heading.

The City Ground has become something of a fortress for the home team here, having gone seven games without defeat. They usually take the lead at home, too.

Against City, they will face a different proposition of course. They were battered 6-0 in the reverse fixture earlier this season and it’ll take a huge performance to claim anything here.

Star Man – Brennan Johnson

Johnson’s pace has been a huge asset to Nottingham Forest this season and the striker has seven goals to his name so far. If Forest can feed him in important areas, he can cause City problems.

Manchester City FC Preview

Reasons to be cheerful

     Claimed a massive win against Arsenal this week

     Won their last nine games against newly promoted opposition

Reasons to be fearful

     Already dropped 13 away points this season compared to 11 last campaign

     Have a packed schedule to deal with this month

Like other teams also competing in Europe, Manchester City’s schedule is packed in the month of February.

Later this week, they face RB Leipzig in a crunch Champions League game that may command some of their attention here. Their manager will want complete focus on this game, of course.

Earlier in the season, City ran out comfortable 6-0 winners against Forest, but that is unlikely to be the case here. Forest have dramatically improved since then, especially at home, and City are fighting on three fronts.

Their win over Arsenal in the week will have boosted their confidence, although they may find themselves 2nd in the league once more by the time this game kicks off.

Star Man – Erling Haaland

The Norwegian took his goal brilliantly in the crunch game against Arsenal in midweek. He’s already equalled Sergio Aguero’s Premier League high of 26 goals in a season.