Seeking to maintain their position at the top of the Premier League, Manchester City travel to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

While the visitors are looking to secure back-to-back away victories within the space of three days, the hosts will endeavour to extend their unbeaten top-flight home run to eight matches.


For the first time since early November, Man City are sitting pretty at the Premier League summit, albeit on goal difference, after securing a 3-1 victory away against title rivals and former leaders Arsenal on Wednesday night.





The Citizens surprisingly had just 36% possession at the Emirates Stadium, the lowest in a league game for a team managed by Pep Guardiola in his coaching career, but they capitalised on defensive errors from the Gunners to ensure that the points headed back to the blue side of Manchester.

The contest was all square going into the final 20 minutes after Bukayo Saka's first-half penalty kick cancelled out a brilliant Kevin De Bruyne opener, but Jack Grealish restored City's lead with a deflected strike before Erling Braut Haaland fired home eight minutes from time to seal the victory and equal a Man City record set by Sergio Aguero in the process.

Guardiola and co are aware that Arsenal still have a game in hand, but the momentum in this intriguing title race now appears to be with City as they have picked up four wins in their last five league fixtures, while the Gunners have dropped 10 points in their last six top-flight matches.

The reigning champions now shift their focus to Saturday's encounter against Forest, the second of five successive away games across all competitions, and they will have fond memories of their last meeting with the Tricky Trees as they secured an emphatic 6-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium at the end of August, their biggest win of the season in all tournaments to date.

Kevin Keegan was in charge the last time that the Citizens paid a visit to the City Ground back in October 2001 when both clubs were in the second tier, with Shaun Goater on the scoresheet in a 1-1 draw, while their previous two visits both ended 3-1 in City's favour.

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper on October 10, 2022
© Reuters

After accumulating 11 points during an impressive five-game unbeaten league run, Nottingham Forest suffered their first top-flight defeat of 2023 at the hands of European-chasing Fulham who secured a 2-0 win at Craven Cottage last weekend.


Strikes either side of half time from Willian and Manor Solomon condemned the Tricky Trees to their 10th league loss of the campaign, but they still hold a six-point buffer over 18th-placed Everton, who they will face in just over two weeks' time.

Steve Cooper's side will welcome a return to the City Ground where they have picked up 75% of their Premier League points so far this season, winning five and drawing three of their 11 home matches.

A 3-2 defeat to Fulham on September 16 was the last time that Forest lost in the league on home soil, and they have since put together a seven-game unbeaten run in front of their own fans, picking up points against the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea in the process.

Forest now face the daunting task of attempting to stop Man City in their tracks, but that could prove challenging as they have lost their last seven matches against the reigning Premier League champions by an aggregate score of 29-3.

City would hope to keep the title alive by grinding N. Forest even with the littlest margin as they need to keep up the tempo.

PEP is using his new found starting line up and using all his best in the line up save for out-of-form and fatigued Mahrez for out of form Foden.

City needs to do well with smaller teams now as it's as important as before.

City all the way

Man city loosing this one

One thing is 100%sure - City to Top the table after this match.

Yzgxgxg

Great100000:
Nottingham Forest 2
Vs
Manchester City 2

dey play

City win ,City 1.5 , the whole game is 2.5

Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.

Let's do this again Not 0-3 City

Draw game

The elephant is back at the top of the tree.

Forest sud try to draw the match. All the forest will knw for Nigeria are highly impenetrable for our military men.

Alright!

Let's go!

Nottingham Forest is winning this match for sure

god of Nottingham Forest, where art thou, summonest I thee.

kunlesehan:
Draw game

The elephant is back at the top of the tree.

Lol

There should be an upset in this game.
I've never fully trusted this city side.

Lasgidi90:
There should be an upset in this game.
I've never fully trusted this city side.

Nothing wey want happen

wotor wotor, arsenal epl(mancity cup) glory in the mud...

Back to where we belong.

.

this is man city's game