Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City tips and predictions: Omar Marmoush to shine amid Haaland blow

Nottingham Forest state of play

Forest’s results have been mixed since they secured an FA Cup semi-final berth with a penalty shootout win over Brighton.

They have defeated Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, but these wins have bookended defeats to Aston Villa and Everton, damaging their surprise Champions League ambitions.

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Forest faced City in the Premier League at the start of March and secured a stunning 1-0 victory which bolstered their European credentials. If you're looking for this weekend's PL tips - then look no further as we have the full rundown of all seven matchweek 34 Premier League matches.

Now playing in a first FA Cup semi-final since they reached the final in 1991 - losing to Spurs - Forest will hope their recent triumph over Pep Guardiola’s men will give them a massive confidence boost to reach the final next month.

Manchester City state of play

The FA Cup has offered plenty of solace amid a campaign of disarray for City and Guardiola. A third victory in the competition for the Spaniard could right the wrongs of last season’s defeat to Man Utd in the final and potentially be the catalyst for a new and vibrant era. 

Recent form has been solid. Across their previous five matches, City have won four and drew once, conceding just three goals in the process.

More importantly, City scored 11 goals in those matches, only drawing a blank against a stubborn United side in a drab 0-0 draw a few weeks ago. They are part of our 6/1 four-fold weekly acca too.

Key talking point: Man City have enough firepower to reach the final for the third year in a row

Forest’s win against City was their only success in their previous four matches against Guardiola’s side.

Prior to that match, City secured three successive wins by two or more goals, with Forest failing to find the back of the net in any of those clashes.

City are certainly hitting form at precisely the right time as they look to secure a top-five spot in the Premier League table, thus securing a Champions League spot next season.

Read: Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa FA Cup semi final betting tips

Forest may have been the surprise package of the 2024/25 campaign, but are Nuno Espirito Santo’s side allowing the nerves to get to them? Especially regarding their poor recent form.

This is something City can take full advantage of at Wembley. Kevin De Bruyne will be desperate to claim one final trophy before departing in the summer. Alongside the likes of Omar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku, City should prove to be too strong for Santo’s outfit.

FIRST’s top tip for Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City

Manchester City to win – 3/4 (Coral)

Extra tips

Omar Marmoush has scored four goals in his previous seven domestic matches for City. The Egyptian will play a more advanced role due to Erling Haaland’s injury and backing him to score looks a solid bet.

Omar Marmoush to score anytime vs Nottingham Forest – 11/10 (Coral)

Morgan Gibbs-White has had a shot on target in each of his previous two matches. Considering he has been linked with a move to City, showcasing his talents in front of Guardiola might speed up a potential move.

Morgan Gibbs-White over 0.5 shots on target – 31/20 (BetMGM)

City have scored two or more goals in seven of their previous nine matches in all competitions. Against Forest, three of their past four victories have seen them net two or more goals.

Manchester City to score over 1.5 goals – 8/11 (BetMGM)

Team news

City will still be without Nathan Ake, Erling Haaland, John Stones and Ederson for the clash at Wembley. Oscar Bobb has also sustained a fresh injury blow, although it is not expected to be serious. He will, however, miss out on a trip to the national stadium.

Forest have almost a full strength squad to choose from, as only Ola Aina is looking likely to miss the clash against City due to recovering from a calf injury.

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City predicted lineups

Nottingham Forest: Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Dominguez, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood (4-2-3-1)

Manchester City: Ortega; Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Kovacic, Gonzalez; Silva, De Bruyne, Doku; Marmoush (4-2-3-1)

Form guide (all competitions) 

Nottingham Forest: LDDWWDWLLW

Manchester City: WWLDWWDWWW

Odds correct at the time of writing