Nottingham Forest - Manchester City predictions and free betting tips [28/04/2024]

Today as part of the 35th EPL round, Nottingham Forest will host Manchester City. Whilst the 'Cityzens' are battling for the championship title and are only one point behind the leading Arsenal, the home team is dangerously close to the relegation zone.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest is fighting for survival after the Football Association deducted four points from the club for financial irregularities. Nuno Espírito Santo's team occupies the 17th place in the Premier League standings, one point above the drop zone. Adding weight, the Reds have only managed to secure a solitary win in their last nine league fixtures, with three draws and five losses. Following a draw against Wolverhampton (2:2), the hosts went on to capitulate against Everton, conceding two goals. Idrissa Gueye provided the lead for the 'Toffees' twenty-nine minutes in, with McNeil later doubling the advantage for the Merseyside team in the second half. Despite a three-match unbeaten run at the City Ground, the 'Tricky Trees' sit in 17th place overall based on home points accumulation (20 points in 17 matches).

In addition to matches against Man City and Chelsea, Forest will also face Sheffield and Burnley in the closing rounds, with their Premiership survival hanging in the balance dependent on the results of these clashes. The hosts will be without rising star Avoniyi (6 goals) and main defender Willy Boly due to fitness issues. New Zealand attacker Wood (12 goals), who was frequently substituted in the first half of the season, has finally secured his place in the starting eleven. He should once again be supported upfront by playmaker Gibbs-White (5 goals and 7 assists), while winger Elanga (5 goals and 8 assists) is expected to feature on the left flank. Moussa Niakhaté, who made his first appearance in two months in the last round, hopes to once again secure a place in the heart of the defence, alongside Williams and Murillo.

Manchester City

Manchester City controls their destiny and aims to win their fourth consecutive title this season. Currently, the Sky Blues sit in 2nd place in the Premier League table, with a game in hand and just one point behind leaders Arsenal. Going undefeated in their last 18 rounds (14 victories and 4 draws), Pep Guardiola's team has been making easy work of adversaries in the national championship for months. For instance, Man City has won their last four encounters against Aston Villa (4:1), Crystal Palace (2:4), Luton Town (5:1), and Brighton this week (0:4). Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden (double) ended the game as a contest in the first half, with Julián Álvarez putting the nail in the coffin for the 'Seagulls'. Man City boasts the second-best away record in the Premiere League, accumulating 35 points, scoring 37 goals, and conceding 18 in 16 away games.

Last weekend the Sky Blues overcame Chelsea (1:0) thanks to Bernardo Silva's goal, securing their entry to the FA cup final, but they have already been ousted in the quarterfinals of the Champions League by Real Madrid. The Cityzens will be without striker Erling Haaland (20 goals and 5 assists), who is recovering from an injury and missed the last two rounds. This has allowed the Argentine world champion Julián Álvarez (9 goals and 9 assists) to step up as the main striker in Guardiola's game plan. The attack sees support from De Bruyne (4 goals and 6 assists) and Foden (16 goals and 7 assists), with Bernardo Silva (6 goals and 5 assists) responsible for creativity on the flank. John Stones, Ruben Dias, and Jack Grealish also have a considerable chance of starting.

Head-to-Head

Last season, Nottingham Forest managed to secure a draw against City on their home field (1:1), however, the first round meeting of the current campaign ended in a 2:0 victory for the Cityzens.

Match prediction: Nottingham Forest - Manchester City

After their defeat to Everton, it's paramount that Forest secures points this round as the relegation battle is heating up. Nonetheless, it's hard to envisage such an outcome: City has been steamrolling opponents in recent Premier League weeks and is battling Arsenal for the championship title. Expecting a convincing win from the Cityzens, I'm betting on their handicap -1.5.