Pep Guardiola takes his Manchester City side into battle against Nottingham Forest at Wembley, but he once made a comparison between the two sides that the Cityzens wouldn’t have enjoyed.
Excitement is building as fans plan their trip from the City Ground to Wembley for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final, a date against a Manchester City side that Forest shouldn’t fear.
Callum Hudson-Odoi scored the winner against City back in March, so the recent history is in the Reds’ favour, regardless of the Premier League champions’ extensive Wembley experience.
Alongside the boost of March’s victory, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side can take confidence in a comparison that Guardiola once made about the two sides, proving the iconic Spanish coach has admiration for his Sunday opponents.
Pep Guardiola once made Nottingham Forest Champions League admission
Away from the FA Cup, Forest and Man City are closely tied together in the Premier League table this season, but battling for one of the five Champions League spots can be put on hold for the unique Wembley experience.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 33 | 24 | 7 | 2 | 75 | 31 | 44 | 79 |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 34 | 18 | 13 | 3 | 63 | 29 | 34 | 67 |
| 3 |  Man CityManchester City | 34 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 66 | 43 | 23 | 61 |
| 4 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 33 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 53 | 39 | 14 | 60 |
| 5 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 33 | 18 | 5 | 10 | 62 | 44 | 18 | 59 |
| 6 |  ChelseaChelsea | 33 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 58 | 40 | 18 | 57 |
Forest have a remarkable history in Europe’s premier competition, with the two European Cups under Brian Clough preceding City’s more recent success in the Champions League.
Guardiola actually once recognised this strong pedigree, speaking in 2023 ahead of facing Forest under Steve Cooper.
He said: “Now we have Nottingham Forest, twice Champions League winners. They have one more Champions League than us. This is the truth, I am not joking.”
His respect for Forest’s history is clear, something that Guardiola has shown previously as well when discussing Clough back in 2019.
‘Genius’ Brian Clough was once hailed by Guardiola
It’s no surprise that Clough’s legacy has impacted the Spanish manager, who will be recognised amongst the legends in the management field alongside the Forest icon once he eventually retires.
The City boss has commented on Clough before, back in 2019 when he led his team of world-class talent against Nigel Clough’s Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
According to the Nottingham Post, Guardiola said after the game: “I am off for a glass of wine with Nigel Clough, I know how important his father was for English football.
“He was a genius. Incredible.”
Clough’s achievements are some of English football’s best, but Espirito Santo has the chance to take a step closer to something similar if he can guide his side to FA Cup glory, beating Guardiola in the process.
Receive a digest of our best Nottingham Forest content each week direct to your mailbox
