Nottingham Forest v Man City Prediction: FA Cup Semi-Final Tips

Sunday | 15:30 UTC | Wembley Stadium | FA Cup Semi-Final

Manchester City return to Wembley looking to book another trip to the FA Cup final. They face a Nottingham Forest side riding the high of their dramatic quarter-final win, but the holders’ big-game pedigree gives them the edge in this semi-final clash.

City Know the Wembley Drill

Manchester City are no strangers to this stage of the competition. They’ve reached the FA Cup final in each of the last two seasons, lifting the trophy in 2023 and narrowly missing out in 2024. Pep Guardiola’s men arrive in strong form, having won 5 of their last 6 across all competitions — including a last-minute win over Aston Villa on Tuesday night.

While consistency has been elusive this season, City appear to be peaking at the right time. A top-four league finish and more silverware remain well within reach, and the FA Cup could prove a key part of a strong finish to the campaign.

Forest a Step Away from History

Nottingham Forest reached the semi-finals via a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Brighton in the last round. While their league form has dipped with defeats to Villa and Everton, they did bounce back with a win away at Tottenham on Monday.

However, that result came against a Spurs side already looking toward the summer, and Forest’s struggles against top sides this season may be exposed again here.

How the Bookies See It

Manchester City are firm favourites at 1.71 to win in 90 minutes. Forest are priced at 4.70 with the draw at 3.76. A narrow City win feels likely. Given City’s control and Forest’s limited output, both teams not to score is 1.95.

Head-to-Head: City Dominate Recent Meetings

City have the upper hand in this fixture, winning 4 of the last 6 meetings, although Forest came away with a 1-0 victory at home over City in the last meeting in March.

Players to Watch

Omar Marmoush has been one of City’s few bright sparks. The Egyptian has 6 league goals this season, and he also found the net in the quarter-final win over Bournemouth so he will be City’s key threat again here.

For Forest, Chris Wood remains their best goal threat as his remarkable season shows no sign of slowing down after he scored against Spurs midweek.

Predicted Lineups

Nottingham Forest: Sels; Williams, Murillo, Milkenkovic, Aina; Dominguez, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Manchester City: Ortega; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gundogan, Kovacic; Doku, De Bruyne, Silva; Marmoush