Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa Predictions
After their midweek European exertions, a tight and tense contest looks likely at the City Ground. I’m backing under 2.5 goals, with a draw also appealing on Sunday.
Tight Contest on the Cards
- Nottingham Forest have seen under 2.5 goals in their last 6 home matches (Premier League)
- Nottingham Forest drew 4 of their last 5 home matches (Premier League)
- Aston Villa have seen under 2.5 goals in 4 of their last 5 away matches (Premier League)
Aston Villa Edge Forest in Recent H2H
Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa have met on 13 occasions since the turn of the century. Aston Villa won seven matches while Forest picked up three victories.
Nottingham Forest Earn Draw in Portugal
Nottingham Forest resume their fight against Premier League relegation after earning a creditable 1-1 draw against FC Porto in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
After falling behind to an early strike from William Gomes, a remarkable own goal from Martim Fernandes just two minutes later ensured Forest claimed a share of the spoils in Portugal.
Outplayed for much of the 90 minutes, the Garibaldis were fortunate to leave the Estadio do Dragao with a positive result. Porto registered 16 attempts to Forest's six, with a final xG of 2.16 reflecting their dominance on the night.
An inability to turn draws into victories has been a recurring theme for Vitor Pereira's side. Forest have been held in four of their last five home Premier League fixtures, with all five matches producing fewer than three goals.
Still, a 3-0 win at relegation rivals Tottenham before the international break could prove crucial. Forest now sit three points clear of the drop zone with seven games remaining.
Aston Villa Blast Bologna
Aston Villa make the trip to the City Ground in high spirits after a superb 3-1 win against Bologna in Thursday's Europa League quarter-final contest.
Ollie Watkins proved the hero, with the England international scoring twice in a deserved away win for Unai Emery's side. Watkins has now scored three goals in his last two appearances for the Villans.
While Villa's European form has been strong, recent domestic performances have been less convincing. Emery's men failed to win six of their previous seven Premier League fixtures before a much-needed 2-0 victory against West Ham.
Low-scoring outcomes on the road have been a frequent occurrence. Four of Villa's last five away league matches have finished with under 2.5 goals, including a goalless draw at Crystal Palace and a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
Still in a strong position to secure Champions League qualification, Aston Villa sit fourth in the Premier League, six points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea. The top five teams will qualify for next season's competition.
Predicted Lineups and Team News
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1) Matz Sels; Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Neco Williams; Ibrahim Sangare, Elliot Anderson; Omari Hutchinson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi; Igor Jesus.
Forest have a number of defensive absentees this weekend. Goalkeeper John Victor and defenders Nicolo Savona and Willy Boly, remain sidelined.
Vitor Pereira made nine changes to Forest's starting lineup following their win against Tottenham prior to the international break, with Sunday's clash against Aston Villa clearly in mind.
“The first two subs we made (taking off Chris Wood and Murillo at half-time) were with the next game against Villa in mind,” he told TNT Sports.
“It's very important for us to get points in the league, and this is the only way.” he said.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1) Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Ian Matsen; Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley; Emiliano Buendia, John McGinn, Morgan Rogers; Ollie Watkins.
Head coach Emery is unlikely to make too many changes from the side that claimed a crucial win in Italy. Ian Matsen and Tammy Abraham are among those who could earn recalls to the first XI.
Boubacar Kamara and Jadon Sancho are the only injury absentees for the Villains.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reflected on a positive first-leg performance against Bologna but stressed the job is not yet complete.
“Happy, yes, but we are trying to get balance in everything,” he told TNT Sports. “We played the first leg here and won, and it is a fantastic result.
"How we did over the 90 minutes, I can feel more or less good for some things and not too good for others. A good result, but we still have the second leg to play.”