Nottingham Forest faced Manchester City at the City Ground today, December 27, 2025, in a Premier League match where Forest aimed to continue their recent strong form, while City sought to climb to the top of the league.

Manchester City entered the match with the opportunity to overtake Arsenal for the Premier League summit, at least temporarily. They were buoyed by Erling Haaland's return to form and Rayan Cherki's playmaking abilities. Nottingham Forest, positioned just above the relegation zone in 17th place, had won six of their previous nine matches across all competitions and had emerged victorious in this fixture last season.

In a tightly contested match, Nottingham Forest defeated Manchester City 1-0, with a late goal from Callum Hudson-Odoi in the 83rd minute. Hudson-Odoi's powerful strike beat Ederson at his near post. Earlier in the game, Nico Gonzalez struck the post with a long-range effort in the 14th minute, which was City's clearest chance.

Nottingham Forest's lineup featured John Victor in goal, with Nicolò Savona, Nikola Milenković, Murillo, and Neco Williams in defense. The midfield consisted of Elliot Anderson and Nicolás Domínguez, with Omari Hutchinson, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Callum Hudson-Odoi supporting Igor Jesus in attack. Manchester City countered with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal, a defense of Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol, and Nico O'Reilly. The midfield comprised Bernardo Silva, Nico González, and Tijjani Reijnders, with Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden playing behind Erling Haaland.

The match also held significance as Nottingham Forest paid tribute to the late John Robertson, a beloved player, who passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 72.

Going into the match, Manchester City had won their last three Premier League games by a 3-0 scoreline. Historically, Nottingham Forest have found some success against Manchester City, including a 1-1 draw in February 2023 and a 1-0 victory last March. However, Manchester City has largely dominated recent encounters, maintaining a strong defensive record with clean sheets in most of their victories against Nottingham Forest since their return to the Premier League in 2022.