Nottingham Forest will be looking to capitalise on Man City's defensive frailties
Espirito Santo is willing to look at their next opponents and adjust accordingly
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By MARTIN KEOWN
Published: 17:31 EST, 7 March 2025 | Updated: 17:31 EST, 7 March 2025
Glory is on its way back to the City Ground, and I can only imagine how the younger Nottingham Forest fans are feeling after growing up hearing tales of how wonderful it was to be a supporter of this club in years gone by.
You’d need to be around 40 years old to recall the last time they were competing towards the top of the Premier League, or 55 to remember them winning two European Cups, one more than today’s visitors Manchester City have ever won.
Now, those good old days are on the verge of becoming exciting new ones, and I cannot praise Nuno Espirito Santo enough for how he is achieving this with a relatively pragmatic approach for which he makes no apologies. Pep Guardiola’s City will look to control possession today and that will be fine by Forest.
They are the only team to have beaten Liverpool in the Premier League this season — as well as the only ones to stop them scoring — and on that day, Nuno’s side did it with 31 per cent possession. Forest are happy to sit on the edge of their own box for long periods, as they know they can sprint up the other end and score, which they did through Callum Hudson-Odoi at Anfield.
Hudson-Odoi is one of many who came from a big club, Chelsea, but was properly given a platform to shine by Forest. The same goes for Anthony Elanga, formerly of Manchester United, and Neco Williams, from Liverpool. They have formed a band of brothers with a deep desire to force their way to football’s top table regardless.
Nuno has the option of switching to a back five against City. They have used a back four for most of this season, and that included against Arsenal last week. I spoke with Nuno after that 0-0 draw and he said they didn’t change from a back four to a five because the visitors were a team without a striker.
Nuno Espirito Santo will be hoping to add to Man City's recent struggles on Saturday afternoon
The Nottingham Forest boss will get his side to capitalise on City's counter-attack weakness
Forest’s manager is not like, say, Manchester United’s Ruben Amorim, who refuses to tweak his system. Nuno is willing to look at their next opponents and adjust accordingly.
Guardiola’s City patiently break down defences, but Forest will try to exploit weaknesses in them.
Namely, they appear vulnerable to counter-attacks. Hudson-Odoi and Elanga will not need a second invitation to sprint down those wings, and neither will Morgan Gibbs-White in joining those attacks, and the statistics show how Forest are a fine breakaway team.
If they can go from 17th last season to securing Champions League football, that will feel as good as any trophy, and their young fans would get to enjoy the European experience for themselves rather than hearing about how exciting it was in eras gone.
Manchester CityNottingham Forest