Nottingham Forest v Manchester City: Free Tips, Prediction and Odds

Two teams challenging for the top four in the Premier League meet at the City Ground on Saturday, as Nottingham Forest host reigning champions Manchester City.

The gap between Pep Guardiola’s side and leaders Liverpool stands at a whopping 20 points, although City cemented fourth place with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Tottenham and they head to the East Midlands knowing that another three points would take them above their third-placed hosts.

Forest are approaching the final 11 Premier League games with a realistic chance of European qualification.

However, Nuno’s side have gone three league games without a victory for only the second time this season and are sure to be striving for a swift return to winning ways.

Nottingham Forest v Manchester City betting tips and predictions

Manchester City to win - 9/10

Manchester City have had a difficult season but they have raised standards in recent weeks and look a solid wager to defeat Nottingham Forest in a key battle concerning the race for UEFA Champions League qualification.

City were unusually busy in the winter transfer window and there are early signs that some of their moves are paying off.

Omar Marmoush showed his quality with a hat-trick in last month’s 4-0 victory at home to Newcastle and already appears to have nailed down a regular starting berth.

However, City’s sub-standard off-the-ball work was arguably a bigger reason behind their decline, and the issue seems to have been at least partially rectified by the signing of Nicolas Gonzalez from Porto.

Losing Rodri to a long-term injury was an absolute hammer blow for City, who struggled to adapt in the opening half of the campaign.

However, Gonzalez has made a big difference and was among their better players in last Wednesday’s solid but deserved 1-0 triumph at Tottenham.

Another new signing, Abdukodir Khusanov, had a decent game against the Lilywhites and seems to be settling down after making a dreadful error on debut in the 3-1 victory at home to Chelsea.

Overall, City are looking stronger and they will fancy their chances of ending the season on a high by winning the FA Cup and securing a top-four finish.

Nottingham Forest approach the final stretch of the season with exactly the same ambitions, although they will be aware of the need to arrest a recent dip in results and performances.

The Tricky Trees have accrued just one point from their last three league games, and FA Cup progress at home to Ipswich was a close-run thing, with Nuno’s side needing a penalty shootout to clinch a quarter-final berth.

Nuno made plenty of changes for the Ipswich game as he continues to prioritise a lofty league finish over potential FA Cup glory.

However, his side were beaten 3-0 at the Etihad earlier in the season and they may suffer another setback against the Citizens, who seem intent on ending the campaign with a flourish.

Omar Marmoush to score anytime - 21/10

Marmoush has gone three games without scoring since his superb hat-trick against Newcastle but he continues to demonstrate lots of quality and energy and will pose one of the main threats for the visitors at the City Ground.

The Egyptian was a prolific scorer for Eintracht Frankfurt earlier in the campaign - bagging 15 goals in 17 Bundesliga games - and he looks an overpriced 21/10 shot to increase his Premier League tally.

Elliot Anderson to be carded - 15/4

Manchester City seem to be growing in confidence and their slick football may need to be countered by some robust challenges.

Forest are a physically powerful side with plenty of players who are prepared to put their foot in.

Midfielder Elliot Anderson is second on the Forest foul count with 29 and he looks overpriced for a booking at 15/4.

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Nottingham Forest v Manchester City odds

Nottingham Forest - 29/10
Draw - 27/10
Manchester City - 9/10

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.