Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City: Lineups, Predictions & Betting Tips

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City: Lineups, Predictions & Betting Tips

Match Details: December 27, 2025 | The City Ground | English Premier League | 12:30 GMT

It's an opposite ends of the table clash for this Saturday's early kick-off as Manchester City hope to keep hot on the heels of fellow title race contenders Arsenal. Meanwhile for Nottingham Forest they will be hoping to drag themselves away from the drop zone as they only sit 5 points away at the moment.

Key Betting Tip: Over 2.5 Match Goals at 1.67 odds represents excellent value based on the tip provided by our team of in-house tipsters.

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Predicted Lineups:

Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Victor, Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Luiz, Anderson, Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Igor Jesus

Manchester City (4-3-3): Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reily, Silva, Gonzalez, Reijnders, Cherki, Haaland, Foden

Head to Head Record Evaluation:

1. Nottingham Forest 0-2 Man City | 27/04/25
2. Nottingham Forest 1-0 Man City | 08/03/25
3. Man City 3-0 Nottingham Forest | 04/12/24
4. Nottingham Forest 0-2 Man City | 28/04/24
5. Man City 2-0 Nottingham Forest | 23/09/23

In the last 5 meetings between City and Forest, City have established themselves as the dominant side having won all but 1 game. It's also important to note that the City have been able to score 2+ in every victory against a Forest side that looked much stronger than they are in current form making over 2.5 total match goals a solid bet.

Recent Nottingham Forest and Manchester City Form Analysis:

Last 5 Nottingham Forest Games:

1. Wolves 0-1 Nottingham Forest
2. Everton 3-0 Nottingham Forest
3. FC Utrecht 1-2 Nottingham Forest
4. Nottingham Forest 3-0 Tottenham
5. Fulham 1-0 Nottingham Forest

Forest have actually had solid form in the last 5 outings and produced results you wouldn't expect of a side that's potentially going to be in a relegation scrap at the end of the season.

They have won 3 times including a humiliating battering of Tottenham Hotspur and have lost 2. They have also been able to record 2 clean sheets but have conceded 5 in as many games, up front they have been able to bag a solid 6. They will need improvements in both departments if they are to survive a relegation scare but it's promising signs.

Last 5 Manchester City Games:

1. Man City 3-0 Sunderland
2. Real Madrid 1-2 Man City
3. Crystal Palace 0-3 Man City
4. Man City 2-0 Brentford
5. Man City 3-0 West Ham

This is precisely why Man City are one of the favourites for the title this season and it seems like they have rediscovered the ability that has made them the dominant side in English football over the past decade. It also helps that they have one of the best players in the world up front.

They have won every single one of their last 5 games and have won the majority in style. In terms of defensive numbers they have been very solid at the back managing to record 4 clean sheets and only conceding 1 away to Real Madrid. Funnily enough the numbers up front are somehow more impressive, City have managed a whopping 13 in 5.

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Predictions:

Our advanced algorithm analyses over 200 data points to generate these predictions with 65% confidence in over 2.5 match goals. The model factors in current form, head-to-head records, player availability, and tactical matchups.

Best Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Betting Tips:

Football Park's Best Bet: Over 2.5 Match Goals @ 1.67 - Our team of in-house betting tipsters have predicted over 2.5 match goals in this fixture. City's goalscoring form, Nottingham Forest's defensive record, and head-to-head record justify confidence in this selection.

Key Players To Watch:

Erling Haaland (Manchester City):

The Norwegian forward has staked a claim to be the best player in the world on current form and when we look at the numbers it's very tough to argue. So far this season he is leading the golden boot charge with an astonishing 19 goals and it's not even January yet. Just to add to this he has also bagged 4 assists bringing his total league contributions to 23 in 17 games. We're not even half way through the season.

Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest):

Attacking Midlfielder Gibbs-White has been the clear talisman at Forest for a few seasons now and he is making that clear yet again this season. He has had stronger campaigns it must be said but even still he has been a shining light in a struggling Forest side this campaign. He currently sits on 3 goals and 1 assist in the Premier League making him the clubs joint top contributor.

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Match Facts:

Broadcast Details: Discovery+/TNT Sports Ultimate/TNT Sports 1 (UK), Various Regional Broadcasters (Europe)

Referee: The game will be refereed by English official Robert Jones.

Stadium Information: The game will take place at The City Ground in Nottingham, England, home of Nottingham Forest. The stadium has a capacity of 30,778.