Pep Guardiola has made two changes to his team for this afternoon’s Premier League meeting away at Nottingham Forest.

We face The Reds today, with a 15:00 (UK) kick-off at the City Ground.

Boss Guardiola has brought in Aymeric Laporte in place of Nathan Ake.

And Phil Foden comes into the starting XI for Riyad Mahrez.

Both Ake and Mahrez drop to the subs bench.

TEAMS

CITY XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Bernardo, Rodri, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Foden, Grealish, Haaland

Subs: Ortega Moreno, Phillips, Ake, Alvarez, Gomez, Akanji, Mahrez, Palmer, Lewis

FOREST XI: Navas, Worrall, Shelvey, Colback, Gibbs-White, Johnson, Freuler, Aurier, Danilo, Felipe, Lodi

Subs: Hennessey, Mangala, Williams, Toffolo, Surridge, Dennis, Scarpa, Ayew, Wood

TACTICS

It looks like 4-3-3 for City – Pep Guardiola’s favoured position.

Ederson is between the sticks and protected by a back four of Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and potentially Bernardo Silva at left-back.

Rodrigo is the anchor man in the midfield, with Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan getting forward on either side of him.

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Phil Foden and Jack Grealish will look to work their magic on the wings in support of central forward Erling Haaland.

HAALAND CLOSE TO RECORD

If Erling Haaland scores today, he will become the player with the most goals scored in a single Premier League season for City.

Haaland’s current total of 26 Premier League goals is the joint highest, matching Sergio Aguero’s final tally in 2014/15.

He’s in good form at present, having scored the all-important third in the vital 3-1 win away at Arsenal on Wednesday.

He’s also shown real intent against Nottingham Forest this season already, bagging a hat-trick in the 6-0 home win over today’s hosts back in August 2022.

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He’s already No.1 for most goals in a player’s debut Premier League season for City.

His 26-goal haul puts him on the summit, with Carlos Tevez (23, 2009/10), Sergio Aguero (23, 2011/12), David White (16, 1992/93) and Nicolas Anelka (14, 2002/03) making up the rest of the top five.

100 up?

Two of our players are also close to milestones at present.

Ederson needs one more clean sheet to register 100 in total for City in the Premier League.

Kevin De Bruyne, meanwhile, currently has 98 Premier League assists for City and needs two more to bring up his own century of assists.

Let’s hope both arrive sooner rather than later!

MATCH STATS

Head-to-head

Nottingham Forest are hosting Manchester City in a Premier League match for the first time since beating them 3-0 in September 1995 courtesy of two goals from Jason Lee and one from Steve Stone.

City won the reverse fixture 6-0 in August and can complete a top-flight double against Forest for the first time since the 1990-91 season.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest have lost all five Premier League games this season versus the current top five, conceding 18 unanswered goals.

However, Steve Cooper’s side are unbeaten in their last seven top-flight home matches, winning four and drawing three.

They have scored the opening goal in nine of their 11 Premier League home fixtures this season, a joint high with City.

Forest have lost their seven most recent top-flight games against reigning champions, conceding 29 goals and scoring just three.

Brennan Johnson has been directly involved in each of his team’s last five league goals, scoring three and assisting two.

Johnson is vying to become the first player to score in three consecutive top-flight home appearances for Forest since Dougie Freedman in 1999.

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Manchester City

City have won their last nine top-flight fixtures against newly-promoted opposition.

They have dropped 13 away points this season, compared to 11 in total last term.

Erling Haaland scored three times in August’s 6-0 win against Forest and is vying to become the second player to net two Premier League hat-tricks against the same side in a single Premier League season, emulating Emmanuel Adebayor for Arsenal against Derby in 2007/08.

Kyle Walker is set to make his 350th Premier League appearance.

Ederson needs one more clean sheet to register 100 in total for City in the Premier League.

Kevin De Bruyne currently has 98 Premier League assists for City and needs two more to bring up his own century of assists.