FA Cup news: Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City – Five key battles and score prediction

Nottingham Forest are headed to Wembley in the FA Cup for the first time since 1991, when they fell at the final hurdle in a 2-1 loss to Tottenham after extra time.

This tie won't be any easier as they need to overcome seven-time FA Cup winners and last year’s runners-up Manchester City.

To get here, Forest squeezed past Brighton on penalties after a 0-0 draw while City overcame a stubborn Bournemouth side 2-1.

Sports News Blitz writer Liam Caffry takes a look at five key battles to anticipate in the second semi-final on Sunday.

Nottingham Forest vs Man City (in the FA Cup)

A key battle in this match is between the two sides’ FA Cup records as league form often goes out the window in a cup tie.

Forest and City have faced each other five times in the FA Cup over the years, with Forest the victors on four occasions.

It would seem, then, that the Tricky Trees have a good hold over the Citizens in this competition.

However, City’s recent history in the FA Cup is nothing short of outstanding, winning the trophy on three occasions since 2011 and reaching Wembley eight times.

In contrast, Forest have only won the competition twice in their 146-year existence and haven’t won it since 1959.

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Nuno Espírito Santo vs Pep Guardiola

Nuno has had a fantastic season with Forest.

Some people were concerned about his appointment after his short spell with Tottenham ended badly, but he has certainly proved the doubters wrong.

He has guided Forest into the Premier League top four and put together an FA Cup run to remember.

Next up, the Portuguese faces Guardiola, who he has managed to get the better of four times in 11 matches – not a terrible record against someone deemed to be the greatest manager of all time.

Guardiola, for his part, boasts a daunting FA cup record, winning it twice and reaching the semi-finals in every season, bar one, since joining City in 2016.

He thus knows this stage very well.

Nuno has only reached the semi-finals once before, when his Wolves side lost 3-2 to Watford after leading 2-0 in the second half.

For what it is worth, Watford went on to lose 6-0 to Guardiola’s City in the final.

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Chris Wood vs Rúben Dias

Wood has been Forest’s undisputed talisman this season, excelling in the league and helping his side reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

During that cup run, he notably converted a penalty in a shootout against Exeter City.

The Kiwi is in impressive form, but on Sunday he comes up against an FA Cup specialist in Dias.

The Portuguese defender has played 16 times in the competition and won 15.

Dias missed out on last year's final due to injury, and it was a defensive error from City that gave rivals Manchester United the lead in a game they went on to win – it may have been a different story if Dias was on the pitch that day.

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Anthony Elanga vs Nico O’Reilly

Elanga has really come into his own this season.

He was let go by United and they have lived to regret it, with the Swedish winger recently scoring against his former club to prove his departure was yet another bad move by the Red Devils.

Nuno has already used him three times in the FA Cup this term, so he could be a key player in the semi-final, especially considering his electric pace and trickery.

The forward will likely be faced with youngster Nico O’Reilly.

Naturally a midfielder, he has mainly been playing at full-back for the Citizens lately and has really burst onto the scene thanks to his FA Cup performances.

He has scored three goals in the competition and assisted both strikes – after being subbed on – in City’s comeback 2-1 victory at Bournemouth.

That performance will no doubt factor in Elanga’s mind and ensure that he does not let O’Reilly out of his sight.

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Matt Sels vs Omar Marmoush

Sels has been a standout player in the FA Cup throughout the campaign, being forced into three penalty shootouts and winning all three while stopping five penalties in the process.

Incredibly, this is Sels’ first run in the FA Cup, and he is clearly not wanting it to end.

Tasked with keeping out City’s terrifying attack this weekend, one attacker he may struggle with is Marmoush.

The Egyptian signed for City in January and is now looking to get his hands on a trophy in his first season at the club.

He is also an FA Cup hero, having scored the winning goal for City in the quarter-final against Bournemouth.

Ably filling the shoes of Erling Haaland while he recovers from injury, Marmoush will look to replicate the Norwegian’s debut season at the club and win the oldest trophy in English football at the first attempt.

Summary

These two teams are almost inseparable this season, with both chasing a Champions League spot.

League form, however, is irrelevant come Sunday as the magic of the FA Cup takes centre stage.

I think it will come down to who can hold their nerve – most would say City as they've been here so many times before, but this City side doesn't deal with pressure well, so I am going to go for a Forest win on penalties.

Score prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Manchester City, Forest to win on penalties (25/1 with Bet365)

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