Manchester City welcome Nottingham Forest to the Etihad Stadium on 4 March 2026 as Pep Guardiola’s side continue their pursuit of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League. The Citizens are currently enjoying excellent form, having won six consecutive matches across all competitions.
City have also been extremely strong at home. They have won their last seven matches at the Etihad and are currently the strongest home team in the Premier League, with 11 victories in 14 home league games. Only Brighton, Chelsea, and Tottenham have managed to take points from City’s fortress so far this season. However, the hosts will once again be without their star striker Erling Haaland, whose injury continues to limit their attacking options.
Prediction: Under 3.5 Goals
Despite Manchester City’s dominance at home, the absence of Haaland and Forest’s likely defensive approach suggest a match with controlled scoring rather than a goal avalanche. Under 3.5 Goals looks like a sensible selection.
Nottingham Forest started the Vítor Pereira era impressively with a 3-0 away victory over Fenerbahce in the Europa League. However, that result was followed by three consecutive defeats, leaving the team only two points above the relegation zone. Forest will likely approach this match cautiously, focusing on defensive organization and damage limitation.
Manchester City are expected to dominate possession and patiently break down Forest’s defensive structure. Without Haaland, their attacking play may rely more on combination play and midfield creativity rather than direct finishing.
Forest, meanwhile, will likely sit deep and attempt to frustrate City for as long as possible. Historically, visits to the Etihad have been extremely difficult for them - since returning to the Premier League they have lost all three away games to City without scoring, conceding 11 goals in the process.
