Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City will aim to halt their shocking slump when they host high-flying Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.
Recent form has left the confidence-depleted champions out of the top four, but they can force their way back into the Champions League spots if they end their seven-match winless run.
City head into the midweek contest as the latest victims of Liverpool’s rampage, losing 2-0 to the runaway leaders at Anfield, while Forest claimed a narrow 1-0 win against Ipswich Town to get back to winning ways.
Despite their current form and the gulf standing between them and Liverpool at the summit, it’ll be silly to definitively rule City out of the Premier League title race after 13 games.
The champions are no strangers to adversity, although Pep Guardiola has never been in a situation like this throughout his managerial career.
Nevertheless, the club faithful will back the Spaniard to come up with a response, and they’ll buy Manchester City tickets from Seatsnet.com to cheer for the team when they face Forest.
Match Preview
During Sunday’s heated clash at Anfield, Guardiola defiantly raised six fingers toward the Liverpool faithful, reminding them of his success on English shores as chants of “sacked in the morning” echoed through the stands.
However, the symbolism carried an unintended irony as City have also lost six of their last seven games across all competitions, including the latest 2-0 defeat to a resurgent Liverpool.
Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah on either side of half time helped Arne Slot’s side claim a deserved win and solidify their spot at the Premier League summit.
By contrast, the Cityzens looked like a shadow of their dominant selves and were fortunate to trail by just a single goal at the break, thanks to Liverpool’s wastefulness in the final third.
The result leaves City 11 points adrift of Liverpool after 13 games, sitting outside the top four amid their worst Premier League run since 2008.
With history against them, Guardiola’s men face an uphill battle to retain their crown – no team has overcome a six-point deficit at this stage of the season to claim the title.
The defeat to Liverpool extends a string of unwelcome milestones for City.
Having suffered four consecutive league defeats, including a humbling home loss to Tottenham Hotspur, Guardiola’s squad now risks losing back-to-back home matches for the first time since May 2021.
The champions’ bid for a historic fifth consecutive title appears in jeopardy.
They’d need to pull off the greatest comeback the Premier League has ever seen to retain their title, considering every team with at least a six-point lead after 13 games has gone on to win the title.
While City head into gameweek 14 in damage control mode, Forest visit the Etihad on the back of a timely 1-0 victory over Ipswich, which ended a two-game losing run against Arsenal and Newcastle United.
A cooly-taken Chris Wood penalty was the difference between both sides in a largely cagey affair, and his second-half strike also brought him level with Bryan Roy’s record of 24 Premier League goals for Forest.
Wood has been in exceptional form for the Tricky Trees this season, and only City’s Erling Braut Haaland and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah have netted more times than the New Zealand striker.
He has been a pivotal part of Forest’s unlikely push for European qualification this season.
Ranked sixth in the league table, only one point separates Forest from the reigning champions, and their impressive form on the road will boost their hopes of pouring more misery on Wednesday’s opponents.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have collected 11 points from six games on the road, with only Liverpool and Chelsea bettering that record.
However, they’d have to pull off a massive upset to come away from the Etihad with a win, given they haven’t tasted success against City since an FA Cup tie back in 2008/09.
They’ve repeatedly faced City’s wrath since returning to the Premier League two years ago, recording a draw and three defeats, including a pair of 2-0 wins last season.
Key Stats
City find themselves in unfamiliar territory, grappling with a seven-game winless streak across all competitions under Guardiola for the first time.
This run includes four Premier League defeats, which has already eclipsed their total losses from last season.
City are the first defending champions in league history to suffer four successive Premier League defeats.
Another slip-up could see them go winless in eight matches for the second time this century, a record they last set under Kevin Keegan in 2003/04.
City’s defensive frailties have been glaring throughout their difficult period.
They risk conceding 3+ goals in three consecutive home fixtures for the first time since 1963 – a season that ended in relegation from the top flight.
Adding to their woes, a loss against Forest would mark their first back-to-back home league defeats since May 2021.
However, their stellar record against Forest will boost their hopes of kickstarting a turnaround on Wednesday as they’re unbeaten in eight Premier League meetings since a 3-2 loss in the second tier in 1997.
Meanwhile, Forest have struggled to breach City’s rearguard in recent times, drawing blanks in their last four league meetings, which ended in a 12-0 aggregate.
They have also lost their last five away fixtures against the reigning top-flight champions by an aggregate score of 21-2. Their last such win was against Manchester United in December 1994.
However, Forest come into this fixture with growing confidence.
They’ve won three of their last four Premier League home games and kept five clean sheets this early in the season for the first time since 1987.
Team News
It remains to be seen if Guardiola will reinstate Ederson between the sticks after Stefan Ortega’s mishap against Liverpool.
However, the Spanish tactician has been handed a massive boost after confirming that Kevin De Bruyne is close to being named in the starting line-up.
The only minor positive from Sunday’s defeat to Liverpool from a City perspective was the return of Jeremy Doku from a thigh injury. But Guardiola still has to do without Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Mateo Kovacic, and John Stones.
On the flip side, Nuno has been handed a near-fully fit squad to choose from.
The only players unavailable for selection are long-term absentees Ibrahim Sangare and Danilo, who aren’t expected to return until the new year.
Man City potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Ederson; Rico Lewis, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, Josko Gvardiol; Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan; Savinho, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku; Erling Braut Haaland.
Nottingham Forest potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Matz Sels; Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Alex Moreno; Ryan Yates, Nicolas Dominguez; Jota Silva, Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi; Chris Wood.
