Seeking to preserve their perfect start to the Premier League season, Manchester City host Taiwo Awoniyi‘s Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
The Premier League season is in its early stages, and football fans are treated to exciting clashes that promise exhilarating gameplay and intriguing storylines.
One such match is the upcoming showdown between reigning champions Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.
Scheduled for a 3pm GMT+1 kick-off time on Saturday, September 23, 2023, this game is set to light up the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
Man City vs Nottingham Forest: The tale of two teams
While the hosts, Manchester City, are sitting comfortably at the Premier League summit, Awoniyi and Nottingham Forest find themselves in eighth place after a solid start, collecting seven points from their last four top-flight matches.
City fans are on cloud nine, having witnessed their team claim victory in all five of their opening Premier League fixtures.
City will be gunning for another three points on Saturday, aiming to emulate Chelsea's 2005-06 feat of winning their first six top-flight games after becoming champions.
Adding to Awoniyi and Forest's challenge is the daunting fact that they've faced Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea away from home already this season.
However, under the guidance of their manager, Steve Cooper, they have managed to accumulate seven points in their first five Premier League games.
Another tough away fixture awaits them against the reigning champions, who have consistently dominated their recent encounters at the Etihad.
Awoniyi: The Nigerian sensation lighting up Nottingham Forest
Regarding Forest's form, one player stands out with record-breaking and game-changing goals – the Nigerian sensation Awoniyi. The Super Eagle has scored three goals and provided two assists in just five games.
Awoniyi showcased his striking prowess by finding the net in each of Nottingham Forest's first three matches in August, extending his overall scoring streak to seven consecutive Premier League matches.
This remarkable feat has only been achieved by three African players in history.
Man City vs Nottingham Forest team news
In the team news ahead of the highly anticipated clash between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest, City faces a challenging injury situation.
Bernardo Silva, who played a pivotal role in their recent Champions League comeback win over Red Star Belgrade, has added to their concerns after picking up a knock.
This compounds their absence of key players like Jack Grealish, Mateo Kovacic, John Stones, and Kevin De Bruyne.
On a positive note, summer signings Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes have made strong impressions and could find themselves in the starting lineup this weekend.
As for Nottingham Forest, they are dealing with their own injury issues. Danilo remains sidelined, but there is hope on the horizon as Serge Aurier and Willy Boly are pushing for a return.
Additionally, goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey is also in contention to make his comeback, adding a potential boost to the Forest lineup.
Man City vs Nottingham Forest predicted lineups
Manchester City predicted starting lineup:
Ederson, Walker, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodri, Nunes, Foden, Alvarez, Doku, Haaland
Nottingham Forest predicted starting lineup:
Turner, Boly, Worrall, McKenna, Aina, Sangare, Mangala, Tavares, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Awoniyi
Man City vs Nottingham Forest confirmed lineups
*Lineups will be updated shortly after they're released
Head to Head: History revisited
Man City wins: 41
Draws: 28
Nottingham Forest wins: 33
Nottingham Forest have only tasted success once at the Etihad, and that was back in January 2009 when they stunned the Citizens with a 3-0 FA Cup victory under former caretaker boss John Pemberton.
Since then, City have held the upper hand in head-to-head matchups. Last season, Forest suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat at the Etihad, with Erling Haaland scoring a remarkable hat-trick.
However, they managed to draw the home fixture 1-1 in February, thanks to Chris Wood's late equalizer.
Here's a quick overview of the recent form for both teams:
Manchester City Premier League Form: W-W-W-W-W
Manchester City Form (All Competitions): W-W-W-W-W-W
Nottingham Forest Premier League Form: L-W-L-W-D
Nottingham Forest Form (All Competitions): L-W-L-L-W-D
Man City vs Nottingham Forest: Predictions and odds:
As we look ahead to this exciting clash, it's clear that Nottingham Forest has the odds stacked against them.
However, football is a game of surprises, and Forest has already caused problems for top-tier teams like Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea this season.
Manchester City, despite conceding in each of their last four games, boasts a wealth of attacking quality that should enable them to breach Forest's backline en route to another home victory.
Latest Odds:
- Manchester City to Win: 2/13
- Draw: 8/1
- Nottingham Forest to Win: 17/1
This matchup between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest promises to be an exciting encounter filled with goals and drama.
Football enthusiasts should keep a close eye on Awoniyi, who aims to outshine the formidable Erling Haaland and lead Forest to an improbable victory.
Whether it's City's dominance or Forest's determination that prevails, this game is sure to provide fans with a memorable afternoon of Premier League action.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 month ago
