Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest: Preview, Form, Team News, and Prediction

Match Overview and Standings

Aston Villa prepare to host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park Stadium on Saturday, September 12, 2026, in Matchweek 4 of the 2026/2027 Premier League campaign. Kickoff is scheduled for 14:00 UTC.

Both teams enter the fixture searching for their first league win of the new season. Aston Villa sit 17th in the table with one point from three matches (zero wins, one draw, two losses), having failed to score a goal while conceding five. Nottingham Forest hold 16th place with two points from three games (zero wins, two draws, one loss), having scored twice and conceded three.

Form and Recent Performances

Unai Emery's Aston Villa side head into the clash following a mixed run of results across competitions. In their most recent fixture on September 8, Villa secured a 3-2 away victory against Club Brugge in the Champions League. However, their domestic league form remains sluggish, including a 0-0 draw away at Hull City and consecutive defeats to Arsenal (1-0) and Brighton & Hove Albion (4-0).

Nottingham Forest come into the match following back-to-back draws in the Premier League. They registered a 0-0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on September 5 and a 2-2 draw away against Liverpool on August 29. Prior to those draws, Forest suffered 0-2 and 0-1 defeats against Leeds United across the EFL Cup and Premier League.

Head-to-Head History

The two clubs clashed frequently during the 2025/26 campaign across domestic and European competitions. Villa met Forest in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals in May 2026, where Villa overturned a 1-0 first-leg defeat at Forest by claiming a decisive 4-0 victory at home to advance 4-1 on aggregate.

In league action last season, the teams drew 1-1 at Forest in April 2026, while Aston Villa recorded a 3-1 victory at Villa Park in January 2026. Aston Villa boast a strong home record against Forest, remaining unbeaten in home fixtures against them in all competitions for over three decades.

Team News and Key Players

Aston Villa will be without midfielder João Gomes, who is serving the final match of a suspension following his red card on his club debut. In defense, Victor Lindelöf is in contention to start in place of the injured Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Villa captain John McGinn will aim to guide the midfield as Emery seeks to resolve his team's goalscoring drought.

For Nottingham Forest, midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré is available again following his return, though Nicolò Savona remains sidelined. Oliver Glasner is expected to line up with summer arrival Liam Delap spearheading the attack alongside Morgan Gibbs-White, who scored in Forest's recent 2-2 draw at Anfield.

Match Prediction

Given Aston Villa's strong historical record against Nottingham Forest at Villa Park and their midweek Champions League boost, Unai Emery's side will view this as the ideal opportunity to claim their first league win. Pundits anticipate a tight contest, with Sky Sports predicting a 2-1 victory for Aston Villa.