Ederson call, De Bruyne decision - Man City team Pep Guardiola must pick to face Nottingham Forest

Manchester City are in unchartered waters having lost four straight Premier League games for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign.

It's six defeats in seven for Pep Guardiola's men ahead of Wednesday night's visit of Nottingham Forest. The Blues will be desperate to end that wretched run but the performance at Anfield on Sunday raised more questions than answers as to how City resurrect their season.

Guardiola has problems to solve almost across the park with players struggling for form and confidence. With the majority of the squad now available - John Stones, Rodri, Mateo Kovacic and Oscar Bobb are the four sidelined - the boss must find a winning formula. Here our writers have their say on what the side should be on Wednesday.

Simon Bajkowski

It's usually really hard to pick a Guardiola team because he has so many options but at the minute not only are there fewer but the ones that are there don't exist in the same way. Manu Akanji looked better when moving into midfield at Anfield and is worth a shot in that role given nobody else has been able to nail it down.

That will free up Ilkay Gundogan for one last chance to show what he can do in his preferred role before James McAtee is surely given a chance, and Phil Foden to try to rediscover the form that has eluded him all season with a number of false starts. Matheus Nunes has shown more than Savinho and Jeremy Doku, and it is also time for Jack Grealish to step up.

Kyle Walker has to be given a rest for his own sake, especially given Rico Lewis showed improvement in the game against Liverpool. Josko Gvardiol can come back in too if Akanji pushes up but Ake and Dias look like two figures that need to be central to the revival, while Ederson has to return as well.

Joe Bray

Almost every selection has two or three knock-on effects, so this is one of the most unpredictable team selections of the season.. or maybe since Sunday.

Despite grumbles from the stands about Kyle Walker, I still think Guardiola was right to take Josko Gvardiol out of the firing line and Walker was the one who came in as a result. But At Liverpool, Manu Akanji looked lost and is the latest player who could use a rest. I'd return Rico Lewis to right-back and drop Walker, hope that Ruben Dias is fit enough to start again, and move Nathan Ake into the middle. Gvardiol can return on the left.

Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are the best options to patrol holding midfield while also linking forward, even if both would be more influential closer to Erling Haaland. It seems like the plan is still to hold back Kevin De Bruyne, however City need him more than ever and he has to be given an hour if possible to influence the game from the start.

Phil Foden can move wide to hopefully rediscover his best form without thinking about any positional worries. Jeremy Doku looked bright at Anfield so can play on the left.

In goal, it was bold to drop Ederson and probably didn't work at Liverpool. So maybe recalling him will offer some consistency - although Stefan Ortega did showcase his shot-stopping ability at Anfield so that is the least consequential decision.

Alex James

Ederson has to return in goal, Stefan Ortega did little wrong aside from his mistake for the penalty at Anfield but Ederson has been one of City's best performers this term and any problems run deeper than him.

Josko Gvardiol was taken out of the firing line at Anfield after a bad week but he carries an attacking threat and can come back in. Ruben Dias' return was a welcome one and he can partner Manuel Akanji in what looks like a first choice centre back pairing for the foreseeable. Kyle Walker has struggled in recent weeks so Rico Lewis - while not the perfect solution - gets the nod on the right.

Ilkay Gundogan may not be the player who left the Etihad for Barcelona but he is capable of playing at six and City are short of options in midfield. The same applies to Bernardo Silva and if this isn't the game to start Kevin De Bruyne then when is? He's come off the bench enough to build minutes and his return would benefit Erling Haaland through the middle.

Out wide, Jeremy Doku did enough in his Anfield appearance to merit a start and while dropping Phil Foden seems like madness, Jack Grealish could provide a bit more control. Foden hasn't been at his best this term and with the festive period upon us perhaps a break will do him good.