De Bruyne starts and captains City against Forest | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has made four changes for our Etihad clash with Nottingham Forest – including Kevin De Bruyne coming into the starting XI and captaining City tonight.

We take on Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest in a 19:30 (UK) clash and the manager has brought in De Bruyne, Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish in place of Kyle Walker, Matheus Nunes, Phil Foden and Rico Lewis.

Oscar Bobb, Rodri, Mateo Kovacic and John Stones remain sidelined.

The Blues are looking for home comforts as we aim to arrest a run of seven games without victory.

TEAM NEWS

CITY XI: Ortega, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Gundogan, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Doku, Grealish, Haaland

Subs: Ederson, Carson, Walker, Savinho, Nunes, Wright, O'Reilly, Lewis, McAtee

NOTTINGHAM FOREST XI: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno, Yates (C), Dominguez, Gibbs-White, Elanga, Jota, Wood

Subs: Miguel, Morato, Williams, Anderson, Awoniyi, Hudson-Odoi, Da Silva Moreira, Ward-Prowse, Sosa

TACTICS

Stefan Ortega Moreno starts in goal and will be protected by a back four of Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol.

Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva will aim to dominate the battle ground of midfield with Kevin De Bruyne offering more attacking impetus to the champions.

Up top, Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland will aim to do damage to the Forest backline.

FANS SO IMPORTANT

“We need them”

Pep Guardiola’s simple but insightful message when discussing the role of our fans in his pre-match press conference ahead of tonight’s Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest.

There’s a reason the title of our annual documentary is ‘Together’ – the players win on the pitch thanks to their heroic talent, the genius of the manager but also the ferocious support of our fans who come rain or shine to follow the Blues.

It's been a mind-blowing period in the club’s history, with 18 trophies won under Guardiola.

But right now, it’s tough with seven games without victory and the boss knows the players need to hear the crowd more than ever in the cauldron of the Etihad.

He added: “The situation is what it is and we need them - always they have been there.

“They know what the team has done in the last decade - many good moments we live together.

“They know that we absolutely need the support because all of us, especially the players, are human.

“Of course they are willing to give everything to change the dynamic.”

The manager wants the crowd loud and proud tonight – and we’re sure they’ll respond.

KDB BACK IN...AS SKIPPER

Kevin De Bruyne spoke to the media ahead of the Feyenoord game and you could sense the frustration he felt at his battle for fitness this season.

He’d started so well, helping Pep Guardiola’s men to Community Shield success as well as Premier League victories over Chelsea, Ipswich, West Ham and Brentford before being forced off in our UCL opener against Inter Milan.

Talking to the press, he said the issue was ‘way worse’ than expected and was so bad he felt pain every time he kicked the ball.

It kept him out for two months but we’ve seen his re-emergence with substitute appearances against Sporting CP, Brighton, Tottenham, Feyenoord and Liverpool ahead of tonight's clash with Nottingham Forest.

Pep Guardiola has been careful with the issue and told the press pre-Forest that he’d have loved to have had KDB fit and firing of late.

The manager said KDB was ‘even better…closer’ on the eve of tonight’s game – and glancing at the teamsheet this evening, he’s clearly ready.

It's great news – welcome back captain Kevin.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THIS ONE!

Focus on the next game!

It’s a mantra that’s been championed by Pep Guardiola for many years – and one that Ruben Dias has reiterated this week as we look to bounce back and return to form against Nottingham Forest.

City have developed a reputation as a team who put together immense winning runs when it matters. We’ve certainly seen evidence of that with Treble and Four-in-a-Row triumphs in the past two seasons.

While it may look effortless – like a racehorse charging for the finishing line – it’s clearly anything but and is made up of attention on every game.

It's that level of detail that Dias says is vital right now as we aim to return to winning ways.

Speaking in tonight’s matchday programme, he says: “We’re all together, players and staff, and looking ahead to Nottingham Forest.

“Our objective is, as always, to win the next game. The next game is Nottingham Forest, so the objective is to win that game.”

WATCH: City v Nottingham Forest: Memorable moments

MATCH STATS

-City are unbeaten in our last eight league games against Nottingham Forest (W6 D2), since a 3-2 home loss in the second tier in December 1997.

-Nottingham Forest have lost their last four away league games against City by an aggregate score of 12-0, while in the top-flight they’re winless in their last seven visits (D3 L4) since a 3-0 win in November 1989.

-Nottingham Forest have lost their last five away games against reigning top-flight champions by an aggregate score of 21-2. Their last such win was against Manchester United in December 1994 (2-1).

-City are unbeaten in our last 31 Premier League home games played on a Wednesday (W27 D4), winning each of the last 20. Our last such defeat was in May 2010 against Tottenham.

-Nottingham Forest have alternated between defeat (4) and victory (4) in their last eight midweek Premier League games (Tues, Weds, Thurs), beating Fulham 3-1 last time out in April.

-Erling Haaland has scored 15 goals in his last 11 games at the Etihad for City in all competitions, while he’s netted four in two against Nottingham Forest on home soil. His brace against Feyenoord last time out came in his 100th home game for a team in Europe’s big-five leagues (all competitions), scoring 110 goals across these games.

-Chris Wood has scored 12 goals in his last 13 away Premier League starts for Nottingham Forest, scoring in each of his last three. No Forest player has scored in four consecutive away Premier League starts, while the last Forest player to do so in the top-flight was Garry Birtles in the 1983/84 season (six in a row).

-City are unbeaten in our last 12 home Premier League games in the month of December (W8 D4), since losing back to back matches against Crystal Palace and Man Utd in 2018/2019.