Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City: Preview and Facts

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City kicks off at 19:30 SAST on Saturday 7 November at the City Ground, with Samuel Barrott in charge as referee. It is round 10 of the Premier League season, and the two sides arrive in very different places. City sit second on 21 points, while Forest are 19th on six.

The gap between them is 15 points, so the story of this fixture is simple on paper. However, the numbers behind it deserve a closer look, because both teams have wobbled in recent weeks. This preview walks through the form, the history, the home and away splits and what the table could look like on Saturday night.

What time does Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City kick off in South Africa?

The match starts at 19:30 SAST on Saturday 7 November, which is 17:30 GMT. The venue is the City Ground in Nottingham, and the referee is Samuel Barrott. It is the late Saturday kick-off of the round, so the other Saturday fixtures will already be finished by the time it begins.

You can follow the action as it happens on our live scores page once the game is under way. Meanwhile, the Premier League predictions hub collects every fixture from the round in one place.

Where do Forest and Manchester City stand in the Premier League table?

Manchester City are second on 21 points from nine games, with seven wins, two defeats and a goal difference of plus 10. Nottingham Forest are 19th on six points, with one win, three draws and five defeats, and a goal difference of minus six. Only Sunderland, on five points, are below them.

City have scored 20 goals and conceded 10, so they are among the league’s most productive attackers. Forest have managed just six goals in nine games, the lowest total in the league, with Sunderland next on seven. That makes goals the clear problem for the home side.

Arsenal lead the table on 24 points, so a City win would lift them to 24 as well. Forest, however, are only one point behind Crystal Palace and Manchester United, who both sit on seven.

How has Nottingham Forest’s form looked lately?

Forest have lost four of their last six league games and have not won since 12 September. That day they beat Aston Villa 2-1 away from home. Since then they have lost 1-0 to Coventry at the City Ground, 3-1 at Crystal Palace and 1-0 at home to Arsenal, then drawn 1-1 at Ipswich.

Their most recent outing was a 2-0 defeat at Brentford on 31 October. Because of that run, the home form is the biggest worry. Forest have played four league games at the City Ground this season, drawing one and losing three, and they have failed to score in any of them. Their only home point came without a goal in a 0-0 draw. You can read how the draw at Ipswich unfolded in our Ipswich vs Nottingham Forest report, and the narrow loss to the leaders in the Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal report.

On the road the picture is a little better. Forest have six goals and one win away from home, so they can score when the game opens up. At the City Ground, though, they have been blunt, and that is where they need a reaction.

How has Manchester City’s form looked lately?

City have been inconsistent by their own standards. In their last six matches across all competitions they have won three, drawn one and lost two. They beat Ipswich 3-2 in the league on 17 October, then thrashed AEK Athens 5-1 in the Champions League three days later.

After that, Aston Villa won 2-1 against them on 24 October. City then drew 2-2 with Brighton in the League Cup, and Brighton beat them 1-0 in the league on 31 October. Consequently, they have lost two league games in a row, which is unusual for a title contender. They bounced back on 4 November by winning 3-2 at RB Leipzig in the Champions League, a game we covered in our RB Leipzig vs Manchester City report. The Brighton defeat is also covered in our Manchester City vs Brighton report.

Away from the Etihad, the record is solid. City have played four league games on the road, winning three and losing one, scoring nine goals and conceding three. They have also kept two clean sheets away from home.

What does the head-to-head record say?

City have the better of the history. In the eight meetings in the API-Football record, City won five, drew two and lost one, scoring 14 goals to Forest’s five. The most recent game was a 2-2 draw at the Etihad on 4 March 2026.

Before that, City won 2-1 at the City Ground on 27 December 2025. They also won 2-0 at Forest in the FA Cup on 27 April 2025. Forest’s only win in the sequence came on 8 March 2025, when they won 1-0 at home. Therefore, Forest have shown they can beat City at the City Ground, but it has happened only once in this record.

Of the eight meetings, seven were league games. Across those seven, City won four, there were two draws, and Forest won one. The two sides also drew 1-1 in February 2023, which remains the earliest game in the list.

What do the statistics say about this match?

The starkest number is Forest’s home scoring record: zero goals in four league games at the City Ground. They have conceded three there, so the issue is clearly in attack. Overall, they have failed to score in five of their nine league games, and they have kept just one clean sheet.

City, by contrast, have scored in eight of nine league games, failing to find the net only once. They have kept three clean sheets in total. Moreover, their away record of nine goals scored in four games means they average more than two goals per away match.

Forest have conceded 12 goals in nine games, an average of 1.3 per match. City concede 1.1 per match. Neither side is airtight, so a goal at each end is plausible. Still, the numbers point to a match where City hold the territorial edge and Forest rely on counter-attacks and set pieces.

What is at stake for both teams?

For City, the aim is to stop a slide before it becomes a trend. Two league defeats in a row would be a rare dent in the title race, and a win would lift them to 24 points, the total Arsenal have now. A defeat would leave them on 21 points, only two clear of third-placed Brighton on 19.

For Forest, the stakes are survival. Six points from nine games is a poor start, and they are one point behind Crystal Palace and Manchester United in the places just above them. A home win against City would be a major lift. Even a draw would end a run of defeats and give them a first home point in a game where they score.

Because of this contrast, the game works as a clean test of both clubs’ current levels. Check our Premier League predictions hub and the live scores page for the rest of the round.

Frequently asked questions

What time is Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City in South Africa?

Kick-off is at 19:30 SAST on Saturday 7 November 2026, which is 17:30 GMT, at the City Ground in Nottingham.

Who is the referee for Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City?

The appointed referee is Samuel Barrott.

Where are Forest and Manchester City in the table?

Manchester City are second on 21 points and Nottingham Forest are 19th on six points after nine games each.

When did Forest last beat Manchester City?

Forest’s last win over City in the API-Football record was a 1-0 home victory on 8 March 2025.

Has Nottingham Forest scored at home this season?

No. Forest have played four Premier League games at the City Ground and have not scored in any of them.

Now that the match is over, read our Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City report for the scorers, line-ups and table effect.