Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City

Wembley Stadium forms the backdrop for a high-stakes FA Cup semi-final showdown between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City.

Securing a first major honor since 1990 could be a crowning achievement for Nottingham Forest, whose top-five push in the Premier League hits a pause button for a first appearance in the FA Cup semi-finals since 1990/91. The Tricky Trees thrashed West Ham 4-0 on that occasion, but repeating that scoreline against perennial Premier League champions could prove a tall order. However, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side squeaked past this opposition 1-0 when the two sides met in March. Furthermore, Forest have emerged victorious from four of their five previous FA Cup meetings with Man City (L1). A 2-1 away league win to Tottenham last time out saw Forest halt a two-game losing streak and set themselves up perfectly for this highly anticipated showdown.

In the meantime, except for the abovementioned loss to Forest, resurgent Man City have won seven of their last ten matches in all competitions (D2), announcing a long-awaited return to form. Despite having less time to prepare for this fixture, Pep Guardiola’s charges received another mental boost in midweek Premier League action by beating Aston Villa 2-1 at home, as they bid to avoid a first trophyless season since 2016/17. Comfortable in this competition, Man City are bracing for their seventh consecutive semi-final appearance. Impressively, they’ve reached the final in the last two seasons and could make it three in a row for the first time in club history. Yet, a troubled record at Wembley inside 90 minutes is a reason for concern (W4, D2, L5).