Wembley awaits Manchester City as they prepare to face Nottingham Forest | OneFootball

Wembley has almost become Manchester City’s second home over recent years. Not a season goes by where City side isn’t playing a big match at the venue. Despite their struggles this season another trip to Wembley awaits. On Sunday Pep Guardiola’s side will take on Nottingham Forest in their seventh consecutive FA Cup semi-final. Based on how the two teams play a tight and tense affair awaits. But no matter how many times Manchester City travel to the home of football it is always a special occasion. Sunday’s match is no different.

Manchester City will enter Sunday’s match off the back of a seven-match unbeaten run. They beat Aston Villa 2-1 in their last match. But looking at how Pep Guardiola has set his team up in recent matches control has been the order of the day. City have been determined to not allow Everton and Aston Villa to get at them on the counter. That will be the order of the day against Nottingham Forest. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side tends to defend deep and look to strike on the counterattack. If Manchester City can control that threat of Forest it will go a long way in deciding Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final.

To highlight how special an occasion as FA Cup semi-final at Wembley is, Nico O’Reilly has spoken of his excitement at the opportunity of playing at the home of football. Unlike a host of his teammates, Sunday’s match could be O’Reilly’s first FA Cup semi-final at the venue. He told mancity.com that he was excited for the occasion. Speaking about Sunday’s match he said: “It would be an amazing feeling to go to Wembley in a big game. We know how good [Forest] are and I am excited for it. You have just got to take every game as it comes, and we are just focusing on this match, and we will see what comes from there.”

“Forest are a very good team which they have showed this season in the Premier League. They have got some very good players, very fast players, creative and they are good defensively.”

“It is going to be a difficult game, but we are in the latter stages of the competition, so of course, every game is going to be difficult.”

Another big match at Wembley awaits for Manchester City on Sunday. The FA Cup represents City’s final opportunity to claim silverware for the 24/25 season. So while they have been regular visitors to Wembley they’ll be hoping to book another trip to London with a win over Nottingham Forest. A tough test awaits Pep Guardiola’s side but their recent run of results indicates that they’ll be full of confidence for the match. If they can contain Nuno Espirito Santo’s side it will go a long way in deciding the match. That’s the challenge for Pep Guardiola and his team in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final.