Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest

Saturday’s Premier League action gets underway at Villa Park as Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest lock horns in a high-stakes contest.

Aston Villa’s hopes of securing their first top-four finish in the Premier League since 1995/96 have dwindled after Unai Emery’s side alternated victories (2) and defeats (2) across their last four league outings. However, they still commence this round two points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. Once an impregnable fortress, Villa Park has been breached twice in a row, with Manchester United and Newcastle United beating Villa ‘to one’ following a 17-game unbeaten home run in the top flight (W16, D1). Another upset looks unlikely as you’d need to go back to 1994 for the last time Villa lost a home encounter against Forest, registering four wins and three draws in seven subsequent H2Hs in Birmingham.

On the other hand, Nottingham Forest pulled off an impressive 2-0 home win against West Ham last weekend to end an underwhelming four-game winless Premier League streak (D1, L3) and steer four points away from the relegation zone. But taking points on the road has proved problematic for the ‘Tricky Trees’ this season as they’ve claimed just two wins on 12 top-flight travels (D3, L7), largely thanks to a porous backline. Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have conceded an average of two goals per away league match. Recent visits to Villa Park have produced an identical scenario, with Forest allowing 2+ goals in their last six away H2Hs. If it’s any consolation, they’ve capitulated precisely once on three of their last four Premier League road trips.