Nottingham Forest host Manchester City at the City Ground in a meeting of the Premier League’s second-bottom and second-top sides, with Oliver Glasner demanding his players “buy in to changes or leave” after a run of one win in nine league matches.
Forest have taken just a single point from their last 15 available and sit 19th, their struggles compounded by a toothless attack that has produced the division’s joint-fewest goals despite registering the second-most shots per game of any side. City, meanwhile, arrive having lost back-to-back Premier League matches to Aston Villa and Brighton, a run that ended a 24-game scoring streak and cost them top spot to Arsenal, though Enzo Maresca’s side steadied themselves with a 3-2 win at RB Leipzig in midweek, Erling Haaland scoring a 78th-minute winner.
City have not lost three league games running since Pep Guardiola’s side suffered that fate under Manuel Pellegrini in 2016, and they have won two of their last four visits to the City Ground since Forest’s return to the top flight. Forest, though, can draw on a 1-0 win over City two seasons ago through a late Callum Hudson-Odoi strike, and their head coach has lost four of his previous five meetings with City during his time at Crystal Palace, conceding at least three goals in each defeat. The sides played out a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium in March, Elliot Anderson scoring a late equaliser for Forest before completing a summer move to City.
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 7 November 2026
- Kick-off: 17:30 GMT
- Venue: The City Ground
- Referee: Sam Barrott
- VAR: Paul Tierney
- Last meeting: Manchester City 2-2 Nottingham Forest, March 2026, Premier League
Team news
Nottingham Forest
Nicolas Dominguez and Igor Jesus are doubts through muscle and calf issues respectively, while Nicolo Savona remains sidelined with a long-term knee injury. Liam Delap, without a goal in his last five starts, is at risk of losing his place to Chris Wood, who is yet to make a league start this season.
Manchester City
Maresca is not expected to make wholesale changes, though Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol are strong contenders to return to defence at the expense of Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly. Enzo Fernandez looks the likeliest midfield partner for Elliot Anderson, with Haaland set to lead the line once again.
Form
Nottingham Forest
Forest have won just once in their last nine league matches and remain winless and goalless at home this season, having lost their last two at the City Ground by a 1-0 scoreline to Coventry and Arsenal.
Manchester City
City have conceded 14 goals in their last seven matches across all competitions, a porous run that has coincided with back-to-back Premier League defeats, though a midweek win at RB Leipzig offered a reminder of their attacking quality.
Predicted lineups
Nottingham Forest possible starting XI (3-4-2-1): Sels; Cunha, Milenkovic, Murillo; Munoz, McAtee, Schlager, Williams; Ndoye, Gibbs-White; Delap
Manchester City possible starting XI (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Anderson, Fernandez; Ndiaye, Cherki, Doku; Haaland
How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City?
The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports.
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