Battle for top four finish – Formidable Nottingham Forest take on resurgent Man City

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Premier League preview 

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Following a formidable midweek of tantalising European football, English football returns on Saturday morning with an exciting clash between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City. While the fixture may not have raised too many eyebrows in years gone by, this season has seen the Reds more or less leapfrog Pep Guardiola’s team and become an aspirational top-four club in the making. And following a run of three games without a win, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side would love nothing more than to get back on track in their quest for Champions League qualification by heaping further misery on Man City’s dreadful season to date. 

Man City’s surprising return to form in 2025

Man City’s form since the start of 2025 has quietly been among the best in the Premier League, even if it has not received the same level of attention as Liverpool’s dominance or Arsenal’s title push. With 16 points from eight matches, they have matched Crystal Palace and Brighton while keeping themselves firmly in the hunt at the top end of the table. Their six victories over West Ham, Brentford, Ipswich, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Tottenham showcase their ability to dispatch mid-table and lower-half teams with relative ease, suggesting that their winning mentality remains intact despite some early-season setbacks. So much so that should they win their games in hand, they’ll be level with Arne Slot’s team for league form in this calendar year.

However, what stands out in City’s recent run is their continued struggles against the top sides, with defeats to both Arsenal and Liverpool exposing potential weaknesses when facing direct rivals. While they have been able to grind out results against less formidable opposition, those key losses have prevented them from climbing even higher in the standings. This raises questions about whether they can take the next step and start beating the league’s elite again to regain their standing in the top four, a challenge they will face this weekend against a formidable Forest side.

Nottingham Forest’s formidable run in the Premier League

Indeed, Forest have proven to be one of the most resilient sides in the Premier League this season, showcasing a remarkable ability to grind out results. Their impressive ability to grind out results can be seen in the table above, which shows league standings based on results in the second half of games this season, where they sit second only to Liverpool with 46 points from 27 matches, highlighting their tenacity and fighting spirit. This clearly underlines Forest’s ability to grow into games, maintaining their intensity and finding ways to salvage points even when faced with adversity. As they prepare to take on Man City this weekend, their ability to stay competitive deep into matches could be a crucial factor in their approach.

As the table above illustrates, Forest’s ability to hold onto leads has been a major strength, as shown by their ranking in the points won after taking the lead table. Having led 21 times this season, they have managed to convert those advantages into 47 points, placing them third in the league behind only Liverpool and Arsenal. This level of game management and defensive discipline underlines why they have become such a difficult side to break down and the continued praise for Espírito Santo’s tactics. Against a possession-dominant team like Man City, maintaining defensive shape and capitalising on any opportunities to go ahead will be key to their chances of securing a positive result.

With Forest proving themselves a stubborn opponent, their upcoming clash with Guardiola’s side promises to be an intriguing battle. Man City will be wary of their ability to stay in games and turn second-half performances into points, particularly given Forest’s resilience in defending leads. If they can replicate the determination and structure that has served them well throughout the start of the campaign, they could well make life difficult for the reigning champions and add another impressive result to their growing list of strong performances this season.