Nottingham Forest – Manchester City: can the hosts stop the title contenders?
The 10th-round English Premier League clash between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City will take place on November 7, 2026, at the City Ground. Kick-off is scheduled for 17:30 British time. At first glance, the favourite is obvious, but the trip to Nottingham is unlikely to be a straightforward outing for Enzo Maresca’s side.
Nottingham Forest: a results crisis and a difficult situation
The start of the new season has been frankly disappointing for Nottingham Forest. After nine rounds, the team has collected just six points, recording one win, three draws and five defeats. The goalscoring record is hardly encouraging for the fans either: 6:12.
The latest results have only heightened the concerns. The Tricky Trees lost to Crystal Palace (1:3), suffered a 0:1 home defeat to Arsenal, then shared the points with Ipswich (1:1), before falling to Brentford (0:2) in the previous round.
As a result, Oliver Glasner’s team has so far been unable to find consistency either in defence or in attack.
The hosts’ main problem is a lack of goals. Six goals in nine rounds is a figure that falls well short of the club’s ambitions. They have found it particularly difficult against opponents capable of controlling possession and forcing them to spend long periods without the ball.
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That said, Forest do have players capable of causing problems even for an opponent of this calibre. Morgan Gibbs-White remains the team’s main attacking orchestrator and one of its most important players. Dan Ndoye also deserves attention, as his pace and individual ability allow him to exploit space.
At the same time, the hosts will have to contend with injury concerns. Igor Jesus and Nicolo Savona are reportedly set to miss the match with injuries, while Nicolas Dominguez remains a doubt.
Manchester City: the ambitions remain unchanged
Manchester City are in a considerably better position, although not everything has been perfect in Enzo Maresca’s team either. After nine rounds, the Citizens have 21 points from seven wins and two defeats. They have scored 20 goals and conceded ten.
However, the latest results show that even this City side is not immune to unpleasant surprises. In particular, they suffered a shock 0:1 defeat to Brighton in the previous round. Before that, the Manchester side lost to Aston Villa (1:2), although they managed to beat Ipswich (3:2) between those setbacks.
The visitors’ main attacking hope is Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker has already scored nine goals in the current league campaign and remains the kind of player capable of deciding a match almost single-handedly. Matys Sherki also deserves attention, as he adds creativity to the team and can find unconventional solutions in the final third.
Jeremy Doku is another player worth highlighting. His speed and ability to beat opponents one-on-one could pose a serious problem for Forest’s defence.
However, City have an additional factor that cannot be ignored. On November 4, the team will face RB Leipzig in the Champions League. As a result, Maresca will have limited time to rest his players and prepare fully for the next match. Squad rotation is a distinct possibility.
Tactics and what to expect from the match?
Manchester City will most likely look to take control of possession from the opening minutes and force the hosts to defend deep. The visitors will use their familiar central combinations, involve the wide players and look for Haaland with passes into the penalty area.
Nottingham Forest, for their part, are unlikely to want to go toe-to-toe with their opponents in a positional battle. A more logical approach would be a compact defensive shape followed by quick transitions into attack. Counter-attacks and set pieces could be the hosts’ best opportunities to score.
A great deal will depend on how long the Tricky Trees can maintain their concentration. Against a team that knows how to patiently wear down defensive structures, even a minor mistake can prove fatal.
Despite the home advantage, it is difficult to find compelling arguments in Nottingham Forest’s favour. Glasner’s team are struggling for goals, regularly dropping points and now face one of the most dangerous attacking sides in the league.
Manchester City also have plenty of reasons for concern, especially after defeats to Aston Villa and Brighton. Nevertheless, the difference in individual quality and the calibre of the attacking players remains significant.
The busy schedule may force the visitors to play somewhat more cautiously than usual. Therefore, a rout should not necessarily be expected. City will most likely look to get the job done through possession and patience.
My main pick is a Manchester City win.
