English FA CUP
2025-04-27 - Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English FA Cup Semi Final
Sunday 27th April 2025 - Kick Off 4:30pm
This game is live on TV
Nottingham Forest
Playing last in any weekend when battling for places is always challenging and Nottingham Forest will have to do that again in the Premier League on Thursday and then next Sunday. However, Nuno Espirito Santo's team proved their mettle by hanging onto a 1-2 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night and restoring their push for a top five finish in the Premier League.
Fans will have been keeping an interest on how rivals for those places do this weekend, but the players and staff are hoping to help Nottingham Forest reach a first FA Cup Final since 1991. They play in the second Semi Final and Nottingham Forest will be confident if they need Penalties to progress having beaten Exeter City, Ipswich Town and Brighton in each of the last three FA Cup Rounds on spot-kicks.
Nottingham Forest had lost consecutive Premier League games and seen teams climb right up behind them prior to last weekend, while they kicked off at Tottenham Hotspur outside of the top five. Winning in North East London will have given the team confidence before this fixture in North West London. Nottingham Forest have lost 1 of their last 4 games played away from the City Ground and won twice in that run.
Ola Aina is hoping to return this weekend, while Jota Silva is a doubt.
Manchester City
For the first time since late October, Manchester City have won 3 Premier League games in succession and the late victory over Aston Villa meant so much to Pep Guardiola. With the remaining fixtures, Manchester City have to be favourites to earn one of the top five places in the Premier League and returning to the Champions League is very important to the club.
They would love to add some silverware to the trophy cabinet in what has been an underwhelming season and Manchester City are looking to reach the FA Cup Final for the third year in a row. The draw has been relatively kind with wins over Salford City, Leyton Orient and Plymouth Argyle, but the players deserve credit for coming from behind to beat Bournemouth in the FA Cup Quarter Final at the Vitality Stadium.
Manchester City are unbeaten in 7 games in all competitions and they have won 5 of their last 6 as they have built some serious momentum. They will travel to familiar surroundings at Wembley Stadium knowing they have lost 1 of their last 5 games played away from the Etihad, while Manchester City have won 3 of those fixtures.
Ederson, John Stones and Erling Haaland are hoping to return prior to the FA Cup Final, if Manchester City make it that far. However, none are expected to be involved in the Semi Final on Sunday.
Head to Head
Both teams have beaten the other at home in the Premier League this season with the most recent being Nottingham Forest's 1-0 win over Manchester City in March.
Since Nottingham Forest have returned to the Premier League, the victory in March is the sole one produced in 6 games against Manchester City with the latter winning 4 times.
The last time these clubs met in the FA Cup was in January 2009 and ended in a 0-3 win for Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium.
Prediction
In recent years Manchester City have become very accustomed to playing at Wembley Stadium either in the League Cup or FA Cup and that familiarity may just be an advantage.
They are chasing a spot in the FA Cup Final for a third season in a row, while Nottingham Forest have not reached the Final since 1991 at old Wembley.
However, the two clubs competing for Champions League places in the Premier League table have both secured a win over the other in the top flight and this is going to be a contrast of styles.
Nottingham Forest will look to be well organised defensively and spring out on the counter attack against an injury hit Manchester City backline. The win at Tottenham Hotspur on Monday will have restored some dented confidence and Nottingham Forest may feel that Manchester City are still lacking some sprinkling of magic in the final third, which should edge this Semi Final in their favour.
At the same time, Manchester City could not be coming into the game in better mood having secured 3 straight Premier League wins for the first time since October. The late goal to beat Aston Villa makes Manchester City a favourite to finish in the top five in the Premier League and this is a team that knows how to win big games at this Stadium.
An early goal could change the entire outlook of the fixture, especially if Manchester City were to go in front. If it is Nottingham Forest, the plan will remain to make things difficult for Manchester City and not allow them to find too many spaces in and around the back three that Nottingham Forest are likely to use.
It is a tough game to call- Nottingham Forest are not playing as well as they were a couple of months ago and teams are creating quality chances against them.
They have still toughed out results though and Manchester City might be a touch short.
Instead the feeling is that this is a FA Cup Semi Final that may not feature a lot of goals- barring a very early Manchester City goal, Nottingham Forest will happily sit in their shape and wait for opportunities and Pep Guardiola's men did find Everton tough to break down last weekend.
At least one of the Semi Final games in each of the last seven seasons has finished with fewer than three goals scored and this is the one that could keep that trend going. Both Premier League games ended with one of the teams failing to score and that may be the outcome again on Sunday with both clubs hoping to use the momentum of a Cup Semi Final win to help earn a Champions League place too.
The Pick :
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
I'll back Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 with BetFred
