VS
Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest pairs a dominant reference with a challenger capable of changing the script through compact defending and fast breaks. Forest beat City 1–0 at the City Ground in March 2025, while City drew 2–2 at the Etihad in March 2026 after a 3–0 home win in December 2024. The contrast gives the matchup its interest; another meeting will test whether Forest can protect its resistance for longer.
Past matches, Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest
Match center
Starting eleven
Substitutes Manchester City
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45D
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11F
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26F
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1G
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5D
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6D
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4M
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14M
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7F
Nottingham Forest Substitutes
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F
7
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F
9
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D
4
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M
22
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G
18
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D
25
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F
21
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F
14
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M
24
Match events
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31'⚽A. Semenyo Normal Goal (Asst: R. Cherki)
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45' +1Ibrahim Sangaré Yellow Card
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56'⚽M. Gibbs-White Normal Goal (Asst: Igor Jesus)
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60'Murillo Yellow Card
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62'⚽Rodri Normal Goal (Asst: R. Ait-Nouri)
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63'Nikola Milenković Yellow Card
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63'C. Hudson-Odoi N. Dominguez
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64'N. Milenkovic Yellow Card
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64'C. Hudson-Odoi N. Dominguez
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76'⚽E. Anderson Normal Goal (Asst: C. Hudson-Odoi)
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77'A. Khusanov R. Ait-Nouri
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77'J. Doku P. Foden
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77'J. Doku P. Foden
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77'A. Khusanov R. Ait-Nouri
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78'A. Khusanov R. Ait-Nouri
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78'J. Doku P. Foden
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79'T. Awoniyi Igor Jesus
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82'Savinho R. Cherki
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83'Savinho R. Cherki
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90'Morato N. Williams
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90'R. Yates M. Gibbs-White
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90' +4Matz Sels Yellow Card
Stats for this game
Matchup Manchester City VS Nottingham Forest
Status gap, competitive resistance
Manchester City bring the greater expectation of possession and control, but Nottingham Forest have supplied clear counter-evidence. City won 3–0 at the Etihad Stadium on 4 December 2024, yet Forest answered with a 1–0 Premier League victory at the City Ground on 8 March 2025. When the sides met again in Manchester on 4 March 2026, a 2–2 draw showed that Forest could stay in the contest even on City’s ground. The results support a hierarchy with genuine points of resistance.
The venue frames the next test
The City Ground gives Forest a setting in which defensive concentration and fast attacks can carry extra weight, while the Etihad asks them to withstand longer spells without the ball. City’s challenge is to convert territorial authority into a margin; Forest’s is to turn disruption into a result without losing its shape. A future meeting will therefore be interesting for the same reason as these fixed examples: it can reveal whether the established order survives the challenger’s pressure once venue, game state and finishing quality are placed under strain.