- Forest have lost 4 of their last 5 games (W0, D1).
- In the Premier League 2026/2027, City have won 3 and lost 1 of their 4 away matches.
- In the Premier League 2026/2027, Forest have lost 3 of their 4 home matches, conceding 3 goals.
Forest need to fight for every inch
The Cityzens arrive at the City Ground in the best of moods, they've won 3 and lost 2 of their last 5 matches, and Enzo Maresca has done a fantastic job of keeping the positional backbone.
The problem for Nottingham Forest is that City have added pace and aggression to their make-up, and that means that they're a more dangerous opponent in 2026/2027. Phil Foden has 4 goals in his last 5 games and he's another live wire between the lines, whilst Erling Haaland continues to be City's ruthless predator with 5 goals in 5 Premier League 2026/2027 matches.
Forest's best chance of making this interesting will come if they're able to stay compact and defend with numbers behind the ball, which is exactly what Oliver Glasner has done since taking the reins on the 6th July 2026. They've kept it pragmatic and direct, but that's been more about compact defending, winning duels and getting the ball wide quickly than the all-out attack that made them so entertaining to watch in the 2025/2026 campaign.
City are the class of the class
Forest have drawn 1 and lost 3 of their 4 home Premier League 2026/2027 games, and they sit 19th with just six points from their first nine games, so the pressure is already on Glasner and his players at the City Ground.
Their most recent two fixtures have seen them draw 1-1 away at Ipswich Town and get beaten 2-0 away at Brentford, so things are going the wrong way. Forest have lost their last two home games and with City top of the pile with 21 points from nine matches, the visitors arrive here as a much superior outfit and we're backing them to win on Saturday.
A both teams to score selection is also appealing at 57/100 as Forest will have to break quickly to score, so a game of cat and mouse could ensue here. But City have scored 11 goals across their last 5 and have more than enough quality to open up Forest's back line when needed.
A tricky game to call
City have one win and one draw across the last 2 head-to-head meetings and Forest are still searching for a first win over their opponents. Forest have scored just 1.0 goals per-game across their last 5 meetings with City at the City Ground, whilst City have averaged the same amount as visitors, so this can remain tight on the scoreboard.
Forest's main goal threat is Dan Ndoye who has 1 goal in his 5 Premier League 2026/2027 appearances, and they'll need him at his best if they are to get the better of a fast, flowing City attack. Morgan Gibbs-White has 2 assists in the Premier League 2026/2027 and he's Forest's most reliable chance creator in transition.
The odds are very much in favour of City at 33/50, whilst Forest are 73/20 and the draw 59/20. That suggests the visitors should win quite comfortably, but we think Forest's low-block approach and City's need to play their game could keep this one a little closer than the odds suggest, so a 2-0 away win looks the best match result tip.
