Manchester City visit Nottingham Forest this weekend aiming to consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League table.
But Pep Guardiola's side will need to be wary of their opponents, who have recorded three wins from their last five league games. It is far from the same Forest side which was dismantled 6-0 at the end of August, almost literally.
Since the start of the summer window Forest have signed 30 players, so predicting their line-up for Saturday afternoon is challenging, but their recent form shows they can pose questions. Manager Steve Cooper has started to build momentum, something he achieved last season when he took the club from bottom of the league eight games in, to promotion. Cooper signed a contract extension in October and Forest are now 14th in the table. Now, the Manchester Evening News has taken a look at how City can ensure they claim all three points.
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Key Players
Morgan Gibbs-White is their dangerman, deployed in a free role behind the forward. He was Forest’s biggest outlay last summer, costing an initial £25 million, and most Forest fans would say he has been worth the money.
Although he only has two goals this season, he has developed a good relationship with Brennan Johnson, who is the principal goal threat and top scorer with seven. The Wales international is often utilised on the right and if Guardiola deploys a similar system to the one against Villa and in the first half at Arsenal with Bernardo Silva dropping in at left back when out of possession, then Johnson will look to exploit the gaps.
Elsewhere, Renan Lodi joined in the summer on loan from Atletico Madrid and has found form in recent weeks. Having scored the goal to knock Man United out of the Champions League last season, his quality is evident.
In goal, Forest will have three-time Champions League winner Keylor Navas. Having joined on loan from PSG in January, to cover for the injured Dean Henderson, he has impressed in an improving Forest rearguard.
City will need to keep all of Forest's dangermen quiet if they are to get the win, while Erling Haaland and co. up front face an experienced 'keeper in Navas so will need to be at their sharpest to get the better of him.
City mindset
Guardiola must ensure focus is retained with a European tie against RB Leipzig on the horizon and the Forest test coming hot on the heels of the vital win over fellow title-chasers Arsenal.
In his press conference after that game, Guardiola warned against complacency given the number of games remaining and was eager to play down talk of City being title favourites. The Champions League resuming adds another layer of narrative ahead of Saturday with European success a huge priority for Guardiola.
But he, and his players, must ensure the focus remains on the cliched one game at a time to ensure City don't immediately hand back the advantage they gained in impressive style at Arsenal in midweek.
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