Enzo Maresca walks into the City Ground on Saturday with two Premier League defeats behind him and ground to make up on Arsenal. His Manchester City side lost 1-0 at Brighton last weekend, kept out by seven Bart Verbruggen saves despite 21 shots, and had been beaten at home by Aston Villa the week before.

Across the dugout, Oliver Glasner has a bigger hole to climb out of. His Nottingham Forest sit 19th on six points, winless and goalless at home after five attempts, and tied for the fewest goals in the league with six.

Kick-off at the City Ground is at 5:30pm local time. Arsenal are at home to Hull City at 3pm local time, so City will know what the Arsenal result looks like before their own match begins.

Glasner says he still has Marinakis’s backing

Glasner, who left Crystal Palace to take the Forest job in the summer, has been in regular talks with owner Evangelos Marinakis since the season began. He told Sky Austria, as reported by Sport Witness, that the owner remains behind him.

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“We are in regular and very good contact,” Glasner told Sky Austria. “Naturally, he’s not happy with our start. He’s not happy with the results.”

Glasner also pointed out that Forest’s underlying numbers do not match their table position, claiming the second-best defence and the fifth-best attack in the division. The results have not followed, and Saturday brings the side second in the actual table.

Maresca was asked about Forest in his Friday press conference and refused to read much into their standing, according to Yahoo Sports.

“So probably for them in this moment the table isn’t real and in terms of manager, he’s done a fantastic job in Germany and a top job here in England with Palace,” the Italian said. “I have no doubt at the end they will finish in the right way.”

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Anderson’s return to the City Ground

The fixture also brings Elliot Anderson back to the club that sold him to Manchester City in the summer. Maresca told reporters he hoped the midfielder would be welcomed, via Yahoo Sports.

“I guess a good one because what he has done there has been important,” Maresca said. “The money he left there has been important. So I hope for him that he receives a good reception.”

Erling Haaland carries City’s attack and leads the Premier League Golden Boot race with nine goals. He scored again in midweek in the Champions League against RB Leipzig.

For Forest, striker Chris Wood is pushing to displace Liam Delap in the starting line-up, while Nicolas Dominguez is ruled out for around eight weeks with a muscle problem.

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