Nottingham Forest vs Man City – Premier League: Live scores, team news and updates as Pep Guardiola’s side need a win to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal

Mail Sport Football editor Ian Ladyman at the City Ground:

So Arsenal throw down the gauntlet, but City are unlikely to be fazed. The fact is that Pep Guardiola’s team needs to beat Forest, Wolves, Fulham, Spurs and West Ham to be champions for the fourth consecutive year. I would be very surprised if they didn’t.

Nottingham Forest must agree with my dislike of the Premier League anthem. It just doesn’t sound very good (I’m sure that’s why they’re booing).

We’re just minutes away from kickoff, anticipation is at an all-time high!

Well, there’s a late substitution!

Ryan Walker, who has done an excellent job, has now had to run and I, Harry Bamforth, will lead the cover.

This match now feels more pressurized than before after Arsenal’s big win against Spurs.

The teams now meet at the City Ground to a very noisy reception.

There is something telling about Phil Foden’s importance to this Manchester City team. The Englishman has been the club’s best player this season, but he is a surprising omission from today’s matchday squad.

Foden has scored 24 goals in all competitions, but has been ruled out of today’s clash due to illness.

Can City manage without him?

Anthony Elanga is probably best known to Premier League fans for Nottingham Forest after becoming a regular starter for the club this season, but the former Manchester United player will want to prove something against his boyhood team’s rivals.

Coincidentally, Elanga was scouted by City as a child but opted to join the red half of Manchester and went on to score four goals in 55 appearances for the Old Trafford club.

He is just one of Forest’s dangerous men and City will be wary of his pace on the counterattack.

Arsenal’s victory puts the Gunners four points clear at the top of the table and City’s need to get three points today has increased tenfold.

Arsenal show no signs of the mistake that virtually handed City the title last season and anything but three points for today’s visitors at the City Ground would spell disaster.

To you, Pep Guardiola.

The full-time whistle has just blown in London and Arsenal held on to seal a 3-2 derby victory over Tottenham.

Mikel Arteta’s side are now four points clear at the top of the table, with City aiming to reduce the gap to one here at the City Ground.

You can follow the post-match reaction to Arsenal’s victory below.

Today is not only a big game in terms of the Premier League title race, but it is also Pep Guardiola’s 300th game in charge of Manchester City.

The Spaniard moved to Manchester in 2016 and has since claimed five Premier League titles, the club’s first Champions League and multiple domestic honors in the FA Cup and League Cup.

Will he lift another top-flight crown in a few weeks?

It is a strong City that starts today’s clash, as if there were a weak one, but the surprising omission from the line-up is Erling Haaland.

Julián Álvarez has been given the nod over the Norwegian, but you hope to see Haaland at some point!

This is how Forest present themselves today as they welcome the champions to the City Ground. Whether City will be called that next season is a completely different matter.

Forest XI: Sels, Williams, Gibbs-White (C), Wood, Hudson-Odoi, Niakhate, Elanga, Danilo, Boly, Murillo, Aina.

The Manchester City players have just got off the bus at the City Ground after making a relatively short journey from the north-west.

There are determined faces on the faces of the reigning Premier League champions and this time of the season is when Pep Guardiola’s team usually produce their best performances.

We’ll discuss the importance of what today means for Man City shortly, but for today’s hosts this could be the day they take a big step towards securing their Premier League status for another season.

Forest are currently just one above Luton, who sit last in the relegation zone and a win today would move them out of touching distance, regardless of whether the Hatters get a win in their final games.

A draw would help their cause a little, but a win is the real need.

It is currently half-time in the Premier League derby between Tottenham and Arsenal with Mikel Arteta’s title chasers leading 3-0 at their rivals’ home.

You can follow every moment of the action from the second half of that match below.

Hello and thank you for joining us for the final Premier League clash of the weekend as Manchester City make the short trip to the City Ground where Nottingham Forest awaits.

Three points are needed for both teams for completely different reasons, with City looking to get closer to a fourth consecutive Premier League title and Forest looking to increase the distance between themselves and the relegation zone.

Kick-off is at 4:30pm and we have a lot to cover before then!