Nottingham Forest vs Man City preview: Prediction, team news and lineups

FanSided World Football

·27 aprile 2025

Nottingham Forest vs Man City preview: Prediction, team news and lineups

Nottingham Forest are seeking to win back-to-back games against Manchester City for the first time in 30 years; the Sky Blues have won only three of their last seven FA Cup semi-finals.

This is the seventh season that Manchester City have reached the FA Cup semi-finals, so will the favourites to be hoisting the trophy aloft next month reach a third successive final? So far, Pep Guardiola's team have overcome Salford, Leyton Orient, Plymouth and Bournemouth as they seek to salvage silverware from this otherwise disappointing season. The Sky Blues did appear to have rediscovered some form of late, making it three successive Premier League victories on Tuesday night, with Matheus Nunes snatching a 94th-minute winner against Aston Villa at the Etihad.

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Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City preview

This leaves the Citizens third, very much on course for Champions League qualification, with a favourable fixture list to come too. Thus, given their current form and recent pedigree, most expect Man City will not only prevail on Sunday, but be capturing the trophy on 17 May too.

As for Nottingham Forest, they're on the cusp of reaching a first FA Cup Final since 1991, having not claimed major silverware for 35 years. The Garibaldi Reds have already made history, becoming the first team in FA Cup history to win three penalty shootouts in the same season, dumping out Exeter, Ipswich and then Brighton via this method to book their date at Wembley.

Meantime, in the Premier League, Nuno Espírito Santo's side are just a point below their opponents, following Monday's 2-1 victory over Tottenham, in which early goals from Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood proved to be enough. Forest do though come into this tie as big underdogs, although they did beat Man City 1-0 at the City Ground just 50 days ago, so can certainly take heart from that. Thus, can Nuno's team upset the odds at Wembley, or will Man City prove to be too strong?

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City head-to-head record

Matches Played: 106.

Nottingham Forest team news

Both Neco Williams and Ryan Yates are suspended while, with Ola Aina injured, Nuno Espírito Santo faces a bit of a conundrum at full-back. Harry Toffolo started a first Premier League game of the season against Spurs, chosen over Àlex Moreno, but Nuno could switch to a back five this time, with Morato coming in and Nicolás Domínguez therefore deputising as a wing-back.

A switch to a back five would surely require one of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Anthony Elanga or Morgan Gibbs-White to begin on the bench; who that would be is anyone's guess.

Nottingham Forest predicted lineup vs Manchester City: (5-2-2-1): Sels; Domínguez, Morato, Milenković, Murillo, Toffolo; Anderson, Danilo, Gibbs-White, Elanga; Wood.

Nottingham Forest players to watch vs Manchester City

Chris Wood headed home his 19th of the season at Tottenham on Monday; the New Zealander has scored only once in 15 previous meetings with Man City, but this did come for Forest two years ago.

Manchester City team news

Pep Guardiola meantime is without Ederson, Nathan Aké, John Stones, Rodri or Erling Braut Håland, but Manuel Akanji is back in contention, having come off the bench during the last two matches.

James McAtee, who started against Aston Villa on Tuesday, is suspended, with Jérémy Doku forecast to come in out-wide, while Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Savinho are alternative options.

Manchester City predicted lineup vs Nottingham Forest: (4-3-3): Ortega; Nunes, Rúben Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Gündoğan, Kovačić, Silva, De Bruyne Doku; Marmoush.

Manchester City player to watch vs Nottingham Forest

Kevin De Bruyne is determined to sign off as a Manchester City player with silverware, so can he add to his one career goal against Nottingham Forest, this coming in December, having previously found the net on ten occasions in the FA Cup?

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City prediction

We are backing Man City for victory at Wembley. For Forest to have any chance, they need to score first, but Guardiola's team are likely to prove too strong: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Manchester City.