Nottingham Forest – Manchester City Predicted line-ups and latest news

The final match of the 35th round of the English Premier League will feature Nottingham Forest, who continue to battle for survival, against Manchester City, one of the main contenders for this season's championship.

• Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City prediction and betting tips on April 28, 2024

Heading into the match, Nottingham currently occupies the seventeenth spot in the league table – the last one in the safety zone. They hold just a one-point lead over Luton Town, who are in contention for relegation. Burnley trails by only three points, indicating that the battle for the lone Premier League spot will likely be between these teams.

Manchester City, after their Champions League exit, is fully focused on the domestic competition. Even the FA Cup final at this point holds less interest for Pep Guardiola's men, as it takes place after the conclusion of the league. Currently, City sits in second place, trailing Arsenal by just one point, but the Gunners have played one more match.

Both teams approach the match with minimal losses. Nottingham will miss Taiwo Awoniyi, who has been sidelined for over a month due to injury. City will be without their star forward and last season's Premier League top scorer, Erling Haaland. Prior to the match against Brighton earlier this week, Pep Guardiola stated that the Norwegian had a minor issue but was forced to miss the game.

Despite Nottingham Forest coming into the match in good physical condition, their morale has been dampened by the officiating in their recent game against Everton. After their encounter with the Toffees midweek, many, particularly the head coach, were disappointed with the performance of the referee and the VAR assistant. Following the match, he said:

"They [referees] are professionals. They should have immunity. I know it's not easy, but they need to try to be impervious to all these things and do their job independently. Come to the match prepared, focus, and do your job properly."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed his desire to vie for another championship title, stating:

"Of course, all teams are tired, it's normal at the end of the season. But at the same time, it's so exciting, you know, to fight for the championship title again, despite the Premier League being a dream come true. I couldn't have expected this, to be honest. I know everyone always dreams of being at the top. But what happened in the past? We had this season, and maybe we won't be able to replicate the previous one."

Each team will be competing for points in this match and will likely field their strongest players on the field.

Predicted Nottingham Forest line-ups:

Sels – Aina, Murillo, Niakate, Williams – Danilo, Yates – Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Elanga – Wood

Predicted Manchester City line-ups

Ederson – Guardiola, Ake, Akanji, Walker – Kovacic, Rodri – Foden, De Bruyne, Silva – Alvarez

It is worth noting that the match will take place tomorrow, April 28, at the City Ground.The referee will kick off at 17:30 Central European Time.