Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City LIVE: Team news and line-ups from FA Cup semi-final

For Manchester City, the FA Cup remains their only chance of silverware and would go a fraction of the way to salvaging what has been an unexpectedly torrid season for Pep Guardiola’s serial winners.

But they look to have peaked at the right time, with an uptick in form taking them to fourth in the league, and they look a fairly solid bet for Champions League qualification.

And the FA Cup is one of many trophies they’ve become accustomed to winning, having won seven editions, most recently in 2023-24, so they’ve certainly got the form.

Nottingham Forest have the chance to disrupt ‘Big Six’ hegemony in the FA Cup. Since Portsmouth v Cardiff in the 2008 final, there’s always been a ‘Big Six’ club in the final, with both finalists often coming from the traditional behemoths of the Premier League.

Forest are having a dream season, with Champions League qualification remaining a distinct possibility.

They could finish this season lifting their first silverware since the League Cup in 1990, and with a European place to boot – a far cry from the squad that was staving off relegation not long ago.

Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the second FA Cup semi-final, between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City.

Last night’s affair between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa was a cracker; expect more of the same today.

We’ll have all of the build-up and action here, so don’t go anywhere…