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2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 6
Manchester City v Nottingham Forest
Etihad Stadium
Manchester, England
Saturday, 23 September 2023
Kick-off is at 16h00
Manchester City will be looking to make it six wins from six at the start of the new
Premier League season when Nottingham Forest arrive at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, September 23.
The defending champions have the only perfect record in the league after five rounds following their 3-1 comeback victory over West Ham at the London Stadium on September 16.
It meant that Pep Guardiola's side maintained their two-point lead over the chasing pack after Tottenham (2nd), Liverpool (3rd) and Arsenal (4th) also won their respective matches over the weekend.
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Forest too had to battle back from a goal down to clinch a 1-1 draw with Burnley at the City Ground on September 18, which lifted them up to eighth in the league standings.
The Reds have made a better start to proceedings than a year ago when a 6-0 humbling at the hands of City left them with just three points from their opening five games.
Steve Cooper's side have opened up a six-point gap to the relegation zone, with newly-promoted trio Sheffield United (17th), Burnley (19th) and Luton (20th) finding the going tough in the early stages.
Erling Haaland scored his second Premier League hat-trick against Forest in the corresponding fixture last term and he'll be eyeing more goals after hitting the ground running in 2023-24. The Norwegian hitman has already bagged seven goals in five games, including a hat-trick in the 5-1 hammering of Fulham on September 2, only failing to find the back of the net against Newcastle.
Taiwo Awoniyi is another man in form after registering three goals and two assists in five appearances. The Nigerian striker equaled a Premier League record for an African player when he netted a goal in each of his first three outings this season to score in seven consecutive matches.
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Guardiola spoke of the importance in retaining the services of Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva this season after the duo delivered fine performances against the Hammers.
The Spaniard saw Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez leave for pastures anew in the off-season and admitted that losing Walker and Silva as well would have had a devastating effect on his squad.
"To have lost Kyle and Bernardo would have been so tough," Guardiola stated. "It's not about how important they are on the pitch - they are important figures and personalities and there are many things that are almost irreplaceable for many aspects.
"Because the characters to be in the team need one year, two years, three years and maybe the players that substitute the players [that leave] the quality is there, and they will be good.
"But to be the composed, to be what they (Bernardo and Walker) have is so difficult. It needs time and that's why after losing important players like Gundo and Riyad it is really, really important as well (that they stayed).
"Have lost these players, to lose two more would have been incredibly important. That is why we are very pleased the club made the job and the players want to stay a little bit longer with us."
Cooper praised his players for a courageous display against the Clarets as Callum Hudson-Odoi rescued a point after a mistake allowed Zeki Amdouni to give the visitors a 41st-minute lead.
"We gave a goal away that we shouldn't have done, it's a mistake the way we let him get in down the side. It was about regrouping, tweaking some things tactically and the boys showed good bravery," he said.
"Callum's goal is one of high quality. I did feel we were on top, looking to get back into the game, got the goal, then the game really opened up."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Man City - 1
Forest - 2
Draws - 1
Premier League Matchday 6 fixtures:
Saturday, September 23
14h00: Crystal Palace v Fulham
14h00: Luton Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers
14h00: Manchester City v Nottingham Forest
16h30: Brentford v Everton
19h00: Burnley v Manchester United
Sunday, September 24
13h00: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur
13h00: Brighton & Hove Albion v Bournemouth
13h00: Chelsea v Aston Villa
13h00: Liverpool v West Ham United
15h30: Sheffield United v Newcastle United
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