Another convincing win for Manchester City?
The young season in England already has its first so-called English week. For the clubs, it is really getting down to business this season, the already tight fixture list is even tighter. Top clubs could benefit from this.
This is not the only reason why, ahead of the Manchester City v Nottingham match, the bookmakers’ betting odds show the hosts as the clear favourites. Manchester City have individual advantages over almost every team in the world, and that is also true against promoted Nottingham.
But: The promoted team has not been that bad so far and also had its chances against Tottenham on the last matchday. Guardiola’s team should definitely not take this opponent lightly.
Manchester City – Statistics & current form
Manchester City had a very tricky task on their hands at the weekend. Crystal Palace, against whom the Skyblues have often looked poor in the past, suddenly led 2-0 at Manchester City. But a brilliant Erling Haaland, who scored his first treble for Guardiola’s side, helped turn the result around. In the end, the scoreboard showed 4:2 for the favourites.
The hosts will now naturally be looking to score plenty of goals and impress against Nottingham Forest. Defensively, however, Manchester City still have some catching up to do. In addition to the two goals conceded against Crystal Palace, they also conceded three against Newcastle United. That will not please the perfectionist Guardiola on the Manchester City bench.
On a positive note, of course, Haaland’s involvement is improving. In addition, ten points from four games is a very good start to the season, only Arsenal have more points on their account and especially against clubs like Liverpool, Guardiola’s eleven already has an advantage.
Manchester City face crunch weeks
Having a buffer early in the season is important because the Qatar World Cup, which Wettbasis is covering in detail, means there is an even tighter fixture list than there already is. In the Premier League, the clubs play until a week before the opening match and already start the league again a week after the final, while in Germany, for example, there is a longer break.
What’s more, the next few weeks are already going to be crunchy. Wednesday Nottingham, Saturday Aston Villa, Tuesday Sevilla, Saturday Tottenham, Wednesday Dortmund, Saturday Wolverhampton: the programme is a tough one. It’s good for Manchester City that their attack is already working and has scored 13 times in four league games so far.
The offensive is rolling, the defence is still shaky at times, but there is no reason to worry yet. Therefore, before the match Manchester City vs. Nottingham, our prediction is that the hosts will win convincingly and with more than two goals difference.
Predicted Manchester City line-up:
Ederson – Walker, Ruben Dias, Stones, Cancelo – Rodri, Phillips, de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Mahrez – Haaland
Last matches played by Manchester City:
Premier League
27/08/2022 – Manchester City 4 – 2 Crystal Palace
Friendly club matches
25/08/2022 – FC Barcelona 3 – 3 Manchester City
Premier League
21/08/2022 – Newcastle 3 – 3 Manchester City
13/08/2022 – Manchester City 4 – 0 Bournemouth
07/08/2022 – West Ham 0 – 2 Manchester City
Nottingham – Statistics & current form
Nottingham Forest made headlines this summer, especially in the transfer market. The promoted club signed almost 20 new players and turned the squad inside out. There is no question that coach Steve Cooper’s team will still need some time to put everything together. But some things are already working very well.
In the 0:2 against Tottenham, for example, the promoted team held up well, especially defensively. A draw would certainly not have been completely out of the question if the game had gone very well. With only two defeats in ten games across the season, the team also seems to have a broad chest in general.
Moreover, four points against Newcastle, West Ham, Everton and Tottenham reads very solid. Manchester City are now a bonus match, followed by Bournemouth, Leeds and Fulham, opponents of a similar calibre to the promoted side, who are of course primarily looking to stay in the division.
Nottingham still need to improve offensively
The structure in the build-up play and when working against the ball is definitely worth highlighting. Nottingham have only conceded five goals and have caused problems for every opponent with their compactness around the three-man backline. However, this has also been at the expense of their own offensive, with two goals of their own in four league games being too few. In the League Cup, there was a 3:0 win against Grimsby Town.
Of course, the tight fixture list has one advantage: it makes it easier for Nottingham to integrate new players, because they have to rotate every now and then. Five substitutions play into their favour anyway. For all the positives that come with the start of the season, Nottingham now play against arguably the strongest opposition in England and the clear favourites for the Premier League title. It will take a brilliant performance for anything to be possible. Due to the omens, our value tip before the Manchester City vs Nottingham game is that over 3.5 goals will be scored.
Predicted line-up of Nottingham:
Henderson – Worrall, McKenna, Toffolo – Williams, Freuler, Mangala, Renan Lodi – Lingard, Gibbs-White – Awoniyi
Last matches played by Nottingham:
Premier League
28/08/2022 – Nottingham Forest 0 – 2 Tottenham
Carabao Cup
24/08/2022 – Grimsby 0 – 3 Nottingham Forest
Premier League
20/08/2022 – Everton 1 – 1 Nottingham Forest
14/08/2022 – Nottingham Forest 1 – 0 West Ham
06/08/2022 – Newcastle 2 – 0 Nottingham Forest
Manchester City – Nottingham Direct comparison / H2H record
These teams have played 99 games against each other. 40 of them went to Manchester City, 32 to Nottingham Forest. 27 duels ended in a draw. The last time the two sides met in the Premier League was in 1996, due to the visitors’ lengthy absence.
Manchester City – Nottingham Tip
Nottingham changed a lot in the squad in the summer and treated themselves to some new players. But: It is still a promoted team that still has to get used to the Premier League in certain aspects. So the Skyblues are the house favourites.
Even with some rotation, that doesn’t change. Therefore, before the match Manchester City vs. Nottingham, our tip is that the hosts will win with more than a two-goal lead.
