Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest predictions: City to strike early and cruise home

Manchester City have hit winning form at just the right time to strike fear into every Arsenal fan's heart and Gunners' diehards will not be optimistic that Nottingham Forest will be doing them a favour this week.

Forest have lost all three trips to City since promotion in 2022 by an aggregate scoreline of 11-0 and even if Erling Haaland misses out again, Pep Guardiola's team will fancy they can overpower lowly Forest.

The stats
City are on a six-game winning streak and a seven-match winning run at The Etihad.

Forest have lost each of their last three in all competitions and failed to win any of their last five in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola's men have won the first half in 19 of their 28 league games – that is six more than any other side.

Since returning to the Premier League, Forest have been to City three times, lost the lot, conceded 11 and not mustered a single goal in reply.

Prediction
The City/City half-time full-time bet has landed 14 times in their 28 Premier League outings this season and expect that to read 15 from 29 on Wednesday night.

Forest are the visitors to The Etihad, hoping to produce some sort of a miracle result to give their survival prospects an unlikely boost.

But recent results and the current form guide suggest that it is a forlorn hope with City set to win for the seventh time in a row – and to do it fairly routinely.

Since beating Spurs 3-0 just before Christmas, Forest have played 12 league games and scored only nine goals.

They know they will be playing for long periods without the ball at The Etihad and Pereira will try to ensure they are watertight at the back.

But City are simply not failing to find the net at the moment and are also showing their own defensive resolve, which was not there earlier in the campaign.

If City score first, they surely win and they are worth backing to find the net in the first half and cantering to victory.