Manchester United work the ball into the Forest half for the first time, but Bruno Fernandes is forced off the ball.

Oh! What is that? A poor clearance from Matt Turner invites pressure, and Forest will have a rather preventable corner to defend.

Paul Robinson
Former Tottenham and England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

What a fantastic start from Nottingham Forest, picking up off the back of that win at Newcastle.

Home form has been a good thing for Forest in recent years and they need to get back to winning ways here.

Image source, Reuters

Morgan Gibbs-White whips in the corner from Forest's left. It's played short, and the resulting cross has too much on it.

Goal kick.

The City Ground is rocking as the game gets under way.

The Forest players gathered for a lengthy team talk before kick-off, led by Morgan Gibbs-White.

They make a positive start too, with Gibbs-white leading the charge as the hosts win an early corner!

Image source, Reuters

Will it be Nottingham Forest or Manchester United entering 2024 in high spirits?

Time to find out. Away we go!

Here's a quick reminder of tonight's team news for you before we get under way.

Nuno Espirito Santo has made two changes for his second home game as Nottingham Forest manager, with Nicolas Dominguez and Ryan Yates coming in for Callum Hudson-Odoi and the suspended Ibrahim Sangare.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are without striker Rasmus Hojlund, absent through illness, and so Antony returns to Erik ten Hag's starting line-up.

Nottingham Forest XI: Turner, Montiel, Niakhate, Murillo, Aina, Danilo, Dominguez, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Yates, Wood.

Manchester United XI:Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Evans, Dalot, Mainoo, Eriksen, Antony, Fernandes, Garnacho, Rashford.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport at the City Ground

This is the first time I have been to the City Ground since Steve Cooper was sacked.

Cooper always used to come out before his team and evidently had a special bond with the Nottingham Forest fans, much as Nuno Espirito Santo had with the Wolves faithful at Molineux.

The chances are Nuno will never be able to replicate that here but the key is to get the fans onside because when this place is rocking, it makes a considerable amount of noise.

Image source, Getty Images

In Rasmus Hojlund’s absence, Antony returns to Manchester United’s starting line-up this evening.

The £80m winger has failed to score or set up a goal in 20 appearances for the club.

He has also scored just one goal in his last 18 away league appearances, although that one strike arrived in this exact fixture towards the end of last season when he scored and assisted in a 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest in April.

Can he rediscover a bit of goal scoring form at Forest again this evening? He's not exactly been pulling up trees so far...

Still hopeful he will come good, Manchester United fans?

Image source, Getty Images

Fara Williams
Former England midfielder on Final Score

It took a while for Rasmus Hojlund to get off the mark in the Premier League after we saw what he can do in Europe. He'll be a miss today.

I think Manchester United have good momentum going into this Forest game.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport at the City Ground

This is the sixth time Nottingham Forest have played Manchester United since they were promoted back to the Premier League.

United have won all five meetings so far, including a 3-2 success at Old Trafford in August when Forest had raced into a two-goal lead, much as Aston Villa did on Boxing Day.

Erik ten Hag's side won here in the EFL Cup and the Premier League last term.

The 3-0 success in the semi-final of the former competition is the heaviest defeat Forest have suffered at the City Ground since they returned to the top flight.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz: "I just tried to score. It is hard because at that moment the result is 2-2.

"The last three games we don't play so well. It is halfway through the season, the players are tired, we lost three or four players to injury. It is difficult but we need to keep going."

On being level on points with leaders Liverpool: "We are in the big club, we deserve it. We work every day so hard. We are so happy to stay in first position. Everyone is so happy, we need to enjoy the moment."

Manchester City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola speaking to BBC Match of the Day:

"Really good - we played the game we should play it's not easy to attack this defence so deep. It's compact and we had to make crosses but without Erling [Haaland] that's difficult. We had to find the small spaces. They moved really well and we played a solid game. Better second half than the first but what we wanted to go into the New Year with a good result.

"Sometimes you need time, when they defend so deep it's difficult. We had to be patient and they didn't want to push or press so you have to be calm and do it in the right moment. We had the momentum and we did really well."

On clean sheet: "So important - Chelsea game conceding four and lots of goals in games but here few chances. It's important to consider that.

Kevin de Bruyne: "The standing ovation when he was warming up tells me the people want him back. It was a long injury for all of us but we're happy he's back."

Title race: "So tight - we're not top of the league, Liverpool are better. We've had injuries and some problems, we won the titles, important ones, our level is really good I would say and we are there. Now rest, we all need it. January is less intense than November and December so we prepare for what's next."

Robyn Cowen
Football commentator on Final Score

What a treat it is for these Aston Villa fans to watch this team, they are so entertaining.

It is great to watch and what a year they have to look forward to.

Manchester United have not lost their final league fixture of a calendar year since a 3-2 home defeat by Blackburn Rovers back in 2011, winning eight of 11 such games since then.

By contrast, Nottingham Forest have only won their final league game in one of the last nine calendar years.

Their final game of 2022 was, coincidentally, a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United.

Another year-ending win in 2023 would take United up to sixth in the standings, with West Ham not in action until Tuesday.

Forest, meanwhile, could end the year five points clear of the bottom three with a memorable victory here.

Hopefully there will be no lack of fizz and energy at the City Ground this evening.

The players have just headed back inside to the changing rooms following after completing their warm-ups and we've got less than 10 minutes to wait before we get under way.

The stands are packed. The anticipation is building. Fingers crossed for a cracker.

Everton

Everton boss Sean Dyche speaking to PLP: "They have turned into a good side and have worked hard to become one, especially at home. We have asked a lot of the players. The fixture list is unkind.

"We have just come off the back of a run of [lots of] games with injuries. We've come a long way since the second game of the season but we lacked that bit of fizz and energy to take the game on. We fell short with the physicality of the game.

"They played really well and exposed moments when we looked jaded. We've done it to others ourselves and they did it to us today.

"The next league game is a couple of weeks away which is bizarre. We hold value in the cup, of course we do, but we have been stretched in the Christmas period so we need to make sure we have players available [for the league].

"They were good today. We didn't play as well as we can. We had a great chance with Dominic Calvert-Lewin early on then we were chasing the game. We were a way from our performance levels and they capitalised on that. They were good today, no doubt about that."

Brentford

Brentford defender Mathias Jorgensen speaking to PLP: "I think Crystal Palace were better than us today In the two boxes and that is what decides matches. Their key players took their chances.

"I wish I knew, we did well to go ahead, started the game on the right foot and let in a few goals the way we shouldn’t. That’s on us. Sometimes we have players playing out of possession but as professional players, that’s our job. We couldn’t do it today.

"The season is 38 games so it doesn’t really matter where you are until the end. We’d prefer to be where we were last year, but there’s plenty of time.

"We’ve been unlucky with injuries, we’ve got players with quality, whether that’s starting or coming off the bench. We’ve got big players to come back."

British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchase of a 25% stake in Manchester United for about $1.3bn (£1.03bn) is complete and, with that deal agreed, his Ineos Group will take control of football operations at the club.

Ineos head of sport Sir Dave Brailsford was at Old Trafford to see the 3-2 comeback win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day and he is also expected to be in attendance at the City Ground this evening.

So what does it all mean for Manchester United, and what might it mean for their January transfer window business?

BBC Sport's Simon Stone explained all on Football Focus earlier today.