Man City vs Nottingham Forest: Preview, predictions and lineups | OneFootball

Manchester City will aim to finally stop the rot when they take on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

The perennial champions were always due a demise but that doesn't make it any less shocking when such a decline arrives. After losing 2-0 to Liverpool on Sunday, Pep Guardiola's side are fifth in the table, winless in seven games and 11 points adrift of the league leaders.

This is far more than a mere blip and they have their work cut out if they're to avoid an eighth straight game without a win in midweek.

City face a Forest team that returned to winning ways on Saturday and just a point adrift of Guardiola's side in the table. Their success this season has been built off a stern backline marshalled expertly by maverick Murillo and summer arrival Nikola Milenkovic.

Nuno Esprito Santo's side had lost back-to-back league games before they edged past Ipswich Town 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.

Here is 90min's guide to Wednesday's Premier League clash.

Man City vs Nottingham Forest H2H Record (Last Five Games)

Current form (all competitions)

How to watch Man City vs Nottingham Forest on TV - UK and US

Man City team news

Kevin De Bruyne's minutes have been managed since returning from injury / Carl Recine/GettyImages

There have at least been positives on the injury front for City, with the likes of Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji recently returning from setbacks

Kevin De Bruyne has been limited to cameo appearances since making his comeback, but the Belgian could be included in Guardiola's starting XI on Wednesday.

Jeremy Doku and Savinho are likely to come back into the team, while Jack Grealish could be deployed in a more central position and work in tandem with De Bruyne.

John Stones and Mateo Kovacic are both poised to miss out again due to muscle injuries, while Rodri and Oscar Bobb are long-term absentees.

Man City predicted lineup vs Nottingham Forest

Man City predicted lineup vs Forest (3-4-2-1): Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Gundogan, Nunes; Savinho, De Bruyne, Grealish, Doku; Haaland.

Nottingham Forest team news

Chris Wood added another goal to his tally on Saturday / Marc Atkins/GettyImages

Forest welcomed Elliott Anderson back into the starting XI on Saturday and the summer arrival should keep his place over Nicolas Dominguez in the midfield pivot.

Chris Wood added to his impressive goal tally from the spot against Ipswich and will lead the line against a frail City defence, but Anthony Elanga could come back into the side and replace Jota Silva.

Danilo is out for the long haul with a broken leg, while Ibrahim Sangare is on the comeback trail having been out of action with a hamstring injury.

Forest predicted lineup vs Man City (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Anderson, Yates; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.

Man City vs Nottingham Forest score prediction

You simply can't back Manchester City right now. Guardiola isn't going anywhere and they will fight back at some point, but will City's renaissance begin on Wednesday? Perhaps not.

Forest are a nightmare of an opponent for the Cityzens given their ability to defend the box and counter-attack at ferocious pace. The hosts, as they tried at Anfield, will aim to limit the number of transitions they have to defend by merely keeping the ball and Guardiola may have to opt for boredom to secure a positive result in midweek.

Anything could happen when this City team take to the field, but fireworks shouldn't be expected on Wednesday. A tame and tepid draw may be on the horizon.