Fixture: Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City
Competition: FA Cup Semi-final
Date: Sunday
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side are gunning for another trip to Wembley glory, and they’ll need to get past a spirited Nottingham Forest in this intriguing FA Cup semi-final showdown. Our football betting expert unpacks key betting markets and offers top tips for this weekend’s clash.
Best Bets for Nottingham Forest vs Man City
- Full-time Result: Man City to win @ 1.75 (Betway)
- Both Teams to Score: No @ 1.98 (Betway)
- Anytime Goalscorer: Omar Marmoush @ 2.46 (Betway)
Predicted Scoreline: Manchester City 2-0 Nottingham Forest
Team Form and Match Context
Nottingham Forest have defied expectations in the Premier League and could be looking at European football next season. But their recent dip—defeats to Everton and Aston Villa—suggests their form is wobbling just when they need momentum.
Forest now shift focus to the cup, where they’ve shown grit, advancing via penalty shootouts in three consecutive rounds. Nuno Espírito Santo’s men are battle-hardened, but facing a polished City side is a different kind of test.
Manchester City might not be retaining the league title this year, but a domestic double is still in play. They’ve clicked into gear with a six-match unbeaten run, and with a spot in the FA Cup final on the line, expect Pep’s team to come out firing.
Probable Lineups
Nottingham Forest: Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Anderson, Dominguez; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Danilo; Wood
Man City: Ortega; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gundogan, Nico; Silva, De Bruyne, Savinho; Marmoush
Betting Insights
Tip 1: Man City to Win @ 1.75
City have the pedigree and form to deliver at Wembley. They’ve taken three of the last four head-to-heads against Forest and seem to be peaking at just the right time.
Tip 2: Both Teams to Score – No @ 1.98
Forest have failed to score in three of their last five fixtures, while City have kept clean sheets in four of their past six. With Wembley pressure high and Guardiola’s defence tightened up, both teams scoring seems unlikely.
Tip 3: Omar Marmoush Anytime Scorer @ 2.46
Since arriving from Frankfurt, Omar Marmoush has quickly established himself as a goal threat for the Citizens. With Haaland sidelined, Marmoush has seized the moment—netting six goals in 11 league games and adding one in the FA Cup. Back him to get on the scoresheet again.
Final Word
This is a massive opportunity for Forest to add silverware to their dream campaign, but the City machine is hard to stop once it hits rhythm. Expect Guardiola’s men to dominate possession, carve open chances, and take another step toward lifting the FA Cup.