Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side will have their sights set on yet another victory at the Etihad Stadium, as they go toe-to-toe against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night.
Manchester City returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion with a 4-2 comeback victory against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.
Despite being two goals down within 21 minutes, an Erling Haaland-inspired fightback saved the Sky Blues’ blushes, as their star striker bagged a stunning hat-trick.
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As City now prepare to face Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night, the hosts will be aiming to claim all three points once again.
However, that is easier said than done, as Steven Cooper’s side will be eyeing a potential upset, after coming off the back of a 2-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.
In a battle between two teams on complete opposite ends of the spectrum, here is how we expect the Premier League champions to line up.
Predicted Team
As per usual, Ederson is expected to start in goal.
With Kyle Walker being injury-prone last term, coupled with the Sky Blues playing last Saturday, the 32-year-old may just be rested as a precautionary measure in midweek, with Joao Cancelo taking his place at right-back.
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After putting in an excellent shift against Crystal Palace, John Stones most certainly merits a start on Wednesday night.
Considering Nathan Ake and Aymeric Laporte remain unavailable for the time being due to injury, it is a no-brainer that Ruben Dias slots in alongside the Englishman.
Sergio Gomez could be in for his Premier League debut, after an encouraging cameo against the Eagles.
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Similarly, Kalvin Phillips was deemed unavailable for Manchester City’s latest 4-2 win against the Eagles, which only means that Rodri will take up his usual role as a defensive midfielder.
After being dropped to the bench last Saturday, the in-form Ilkay Gundogan is likely to be back in the fold against Nottingham Forest.
Kevin De Bruyne has started the new season like a man on a mission, which would make it a challenge for Pep Guardiola to bench the Belgian playmaker.
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Bernardo Silva’s masterclass as a right-winger against Patrick Vieira’s men makes it virtually impossible that he does not start against Steve Cooper’s side.
The same applies for Erling Haaland, who scored his first hat-trick for Manchester City against Palace and has inarguably been the Premier League’s standout player so far this season. Although, there does remain a possibility that Julian Alvarez could be utilised as the striker given the quick turnaround ahead of the weekend's trip to Aston Villa.
Phil Foden’s performance kicked up a gear in the second half against the South London outfit at the weekend, as the 22-year-old was one of the catalysts behind his side’s stunning comeback, which may have earned him a start against the newly-promoted side.
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Starting XI: Ederson; Joao Cancelo, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Sergio Gomez; Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne; Bernardo Silva, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden.
Substitutes: Stefan Ortega Moreno, Kyle Walker, Rico Lewis, Nathan Ake, Josh Wilson-Esbrand, Claudio Gomes, Riyad Mahrez, Cole Palmer, Julian Alvarez.
Topics: Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, Premier League, Football
Srinivas Sadhanand