While winning the FA Cup won’t redeem this season for Manchester City, it’s a still a prize nonetheless. Given the place that Man City now holds in world football, i.e. all the bigger that trophies they’ve already won, this season will already be regarded as a let down. What happens in the FA Cup, either way, won’t change that. For Nottingham Forest, this tournament is much much bigger. They have not won this competition since 1959, and haven’t claimed a major trophy of any kind since 1980.
Of course, both sides have even more to play for this season, as they are still in the midst of a tightly contested race for UCL qualification.
FA Cup Semifinal FYIs
Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest
Kickoff: Sun. Apr. 27, 4:30pm
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London, UK
Other FA Cup Semifinal Team News, Starting Lineup Predictions: Aston Villa Crystal Palace
Fun Fact: Manchester City have lost four of their last five FA Cup meetings with Nottingham Forest.
Both sides need to finish in the top five in the league, otherwise this season will feel like a major disappointment.
Man City Team News vs Nottingham Forest
Nothing has changed here, from the thrilling midweek win over Aston Villa. Nathan Ake, Ederson, Erling Haaland, John Stones and Rodri all remain out.
Man City Starting Lineup Prediction vs Nottingham Forest
Stefan Ortega; Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Nico O’Reilly; Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan; Bernardo Silva, Manuel Akanji, Jeremy Doku; Omar Marmoush
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter