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Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction

Date: December 27, 2025 Venue: City Ground Kickoff Time: 14:30 This is an exciting fixture between two teams with contrasting situations as Man City are firm title contenders, while Nottingham are aiming to rediscover themselves and move further away from the relegation zone. Premier League betting fans can expect generous odds in a fixture where the underdog meets the standard-bearer. This is more than just a challenge for the Tricky Trees, as it provides an opportunity for them to disrupt rhythm, to frustrate control, and to remind everyone that the City Ground can still unsettle the very best. For the Citizens, their strength lies in their structure.

Marc Strydom
Marc Strydom

Last updated: 2025-12-23

Chad Nagel

7 minutes read

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Savinho of Manchester City in action with Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest

Savinho and Elliot Anderson /Getty Images

Even away from home, they rarely alter their philosophy, which has been at the forefront of their success and will keep Forest honest from the first whistle to the last. In essence, Forest must survive long spells without the ball and be clinical when chances arise, while City must break down a committed defensive block and guard against quick transitions. 

After an intense meeting in the FA Cup semi-final last time out, Nottingham Forest will now seek redemption when they welcome Manchester City to the iconic City Ground on 27 December 2025. It’s a classic Premier League contest where one side is chasing belief and momentum, the other defending standards and supremacy, played out on a ground where atmosphere can tilt the balance. 

Pre-Game Odds & Win Probability

  1. HOME (NOTTINGHAM): 4/1 (5.0) – 20% 

  2. DRAW: 33/10 (4.30) – 23.3%

  3. AWAY (MAN CITY): 16/25 (1.64) – 61%

    Odds courtesy of Xyes, subject to change.

Head-To-Head Record

Last five meetings (All Competitions)

  1. 27/04/2025: Nottingham 0-2 Man City

  2. 08/03/2025: Nottingham 1-0 Man City 

  3. 04/12/2024: Man City 3-0 Nottingham 

  4. 28/04/2024: Nottingham 0-2 Man City 

  5. 23/09/2023: Man City 2-0 Nottingham

Nottingham Current Form – LWLWW

After a concerning start to the season, Sean Dyche was brought in, and as expected, he steadied the ship. Forest is a side built on resilience, organization, and emotion, particularly at the City Ground. Their identity is rooted in intensity without the ball by closing down space, staying compact, and directness with it, where transition becomes their primary weapon. 

Even though Forest is in a tricky situation at the bottom end of the table, they have still put together a respectable run of results in the last five games. A hard-fought victory against Wolves was followed by a heavy defeat to Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. With Dyche at the helm and the quality of players they have, a turnaround was likely, which played out in back-to-back victories.

After defeating Utrecht in the Europa League, they outplayed Tottenham in every department to earn a vital three points, showcasing their resilience and collective strength against superior sides. The trip to Fulham was unpredictable, and now with full attention on City, Dyche will be backed by a passionate crowd and driven by pride to face one of the toughest tests in the league. 

Key Players to Watch

  • Morgan Gibbs-White: Morgan is the central creative hub who is given freedom to roam and link midfield with attack. He has become a unique presence in midfield for Forest, excelling at creating chances for his teammates while obtaining the calmness and composure to score himself. 
  • Igor Jesus: Jesus has become a fan favourite due to his impressive contributions on both ends of the pitch. His physicality and speed make him a tough forward to contain as he can hold up play, bring others into the game, has the Brazilian flair to take on defenders, and is a clinical finisher. 
  • Elliot Anderson: Anderson has grown into a dynamic, versatile box-to-box midfielder who contributes heavily in both attack and defence. He is the heart and soul of this Forest team and has the quality to influence the game in the final third by creating chances or in defence by providing added cover, making him a coach's dream player to have. 

Nottingham Team News

Willy Boly and Ibrahima Sangare are both away on international duty, competing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) taking place in Morocco. Nicolas Dominguez (knee) is questionable for this fixture as he continues to deal with a knee issue. Matz Sels (groin) could be back in the starting lineup after extra precautions were taken to avoid any major setbacks by starting him against Fulham. Ryan Yates (hamstring) suffered a hamstring injury against Everton; however, it doesn’t require surgery, and he is hoping to return soon. 

Man City Current Form – WWWWW

Man City is a side defined by total control, precision, and relentless consistency. Now, with the halfway mark arriving, they are beginning to find their groove back and looking extremely dangerous. City’s character revolves around dominating possession, intelligent movement, and the ability to suffocate opponents with the supreme selection of world-class talent at their disposal.   

The last five games further validate just how good the Citizens have been as they proceed to outplay each team and grow in confidence after racking up the wins. City came out victorious in a nine-goal thriller against Fulham, smashed new boys Sunderland, saw off Real Madrid in the Champions League, and got revenge on Crystal Palace in a commanding performance to maintain their hot streak.

Just three days later, they faced Brentford in the EFL Cup and advanced to the semi-finals after a comfortable victory, showing class despite making several changes to the lineup. West Ham was the most recent casualty on the City hit list, and they extended their unbeaten home streak to eight games after defeating the Hammers at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola will not allow complacency to settle in and will approach this fixture against Forest fully prepared and eager to land another valuable three points.

Key Players To Watch

  • Erling Haaland: Haaland is a freak of nature and the ultimate scoring machine. He is the target man that no defence wants to face, as he has intelligent movement, strength to hold off defenders, and expert finishing ability of the highest level. The Norwegian will be eager to add to his remarkable goal tally, having scored five goals already against Forest, including a first-half hat-trick. 
  • Phil Foden: Foden is in hot form for City and has been finding the net often in recent weeks. He is unstoppable in the final third at times when given the freedom to utilize his exceptional ball handling, vision to pick out a pass, and ability to score with finesse. 
  • Ryan Cherki: Cherki is now a part of this incredible group of players, and his performances are proving how much of a world-class talent he is. The Frenchman is a gifted two-footed attacker with incredible dribbling skills, making him a scoring threat and a constant threat to any defence. 

Man City Team News

Omar Marmoush and Ryan Ait-Nouri will be away for a while on international duty as the pair are competing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. Jeremy Doku (leg) is set to miss two to three weeks due to his injury and is hoping for a swift return in the new year. Rodri (hamstring) should return before the end of the year after making a comeback from his hamstring injury. 

Predicted Line-Up

  1. Nottingham: 4-2-3-1

    John, Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Hutchinson, Mcatee, Anderson, Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Jesus

  2. Man City: 4-5-1

    Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Gonzalez, Silva, Cherki, Foden, Savinho, Haaland

Suggested Bets from Xyes.com

With strategic insights ahead of kickoff, you can take advantage of informed analysis and tip the scales in your favour with Xyes. 

  1. Man City To Win: City are in scintillating form and will not allow anything or anyone to get in the way of collecting maximum points. 16/25 (1.64)

  2. Totals (Over 2.5): Forecasts point to goal action from both sides, with previous meetings showing multiple goals. 67/100 (1.67)

  3. First Half – First Goal (Man City): The Citizens will find the first breakthrough given the extreme attacking quality they possess. 19/20 (1.95)

Value Bets from Xyes.com

This platform, plus top value bets, equals bigger upside and stronger winning potential. 

  1. Man City First Goal Scorer (Erling Haaland): The Norwegian is a significant goal threat and City’s leading goal scorer, making him the hot favourite with Xyes to find the net first. 17/10 (2.70)

  2. Man City Clean Sheet (Yes): City has kept a clean sheet against Forest across the last five meetings, and the same could happen here. 31/20 (2.55)

  3. When Will The First Goal Be Scored (21-30): The early stages will see both teams see each other out before imposing themselves and going in for the kill as the game opens up. 5/1 (6.0)

Prediction: Manchester City to Win

Manchester City have dominated this fixture in recent meetings, which will give them the edge, more so because of the current form and confidence they are playing with. Even though Forest will be stubborn and hold a low defensive block, City has enough quality to take over this fixture and walk away with another major victory. 

Marc Strydom
Marc StrydomSports Writer

Marc Strydom is a dedicated sports lover with a wealth of experience in the sports betting industry, mostly as a Chief Editor of a sports betting publication in South Africa. While Marc’s enthusiasm covers many sports, football and NBA are his favourites. His articles feature on multiple top-rated platforms, covering a wide range of topics.

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