🔗 Share this article Villa versus Forest: Premier League Build-Up Opening Thoughts Welcome everyone to this English top-flight encounter between Aston Villa and Forest. The home side are the strong favourites to win in this lunchtime start as they are soaring this season and are currently occupying third place, while Nottingham Forest are in 17th position and just four points outside of the drop zone. Each side are entering the game on the back of a loss as Villa were defeated 4-1 by league-leading Arsenal and Forest fell 2-0 to Everton. It will be a challenging task for Forest to obtain all three points with Villa having one of the best home records in Europe at the moment and they also recorded a club record of 36 wins across all competitions this season. But maybe it’s new year, new story? The answer will be revealed very soon. The confirmed XIs will be announced shortly before kick-off at 12.30pm GMT. Team News The starting XIs have been announced. Unai Emery has made four changes to his starting XI who lost 4-1 to Arsenal last time out. Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Lindelof, Maatsen, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Buendia, Rogers, Watkins. Substitutes: Bizot, Digne, Sancho, Garcia, Carroll, Bogarde, Hemmings, Malen, Jimoh-Aloba. Forest have also made four changes to their matchday squad after a 2-0 loss to Everton. Nott’m Forest: Victor, Williams, Murillo, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, I Jesus, Hutchinson, Bakwa, Milenkovic, Aina. Bench: Sels, Morato, Awoniyi, Luiz, Kalimuendo, McAtee, Zinchenko, Savona, Abbott. Dugout Insights Forest boss Sean Dyche has remarked on his opponent today: "He’s [Unai Emery] done a excellent job as a manager there. Their transfer business has been good - invested a lot of money, to be fair, on some top players and they’ve shaped it into a strong side, so certainly a difficult game. We’ve just shown lately, we’ve taken on some of the bigger teams, or the ones that are tipped every year, and done very well against them - and a couple of teams perhaps not as fancied, we haven't performed as strongly against them. That’s likely the challenge of the group - meeting the expectation of each game rather than just the big games." Player Situation The midfielder has will not be staying at Aston Villa, an update that was stated by the manager Emery in the build-up to this match. The boss commented: "I am respecting him as much as possible because he’s a excellent professional, very respectful. The problem we have with Harvey is this year he is on loan and if he is featuring regularly, we must buy him. We made the decision two months ago we are not persuaded to make the move permanent, spending the money we need." Form Guide The tables have turned. This time last year Nottingham Forest were third in the table, where Villa are now. A lot of things have shifted, including the manager twice and the current boss is charged with keeping the club in the Premier League this season. Since being appointed on 21 October, Dyche has secured 10 Premier League points and the side are just outside the bottom three with 19 games of the season to go.
Opening Thoughts Welcome everyone to this English top-flight encounter between Aston Villa and Forest. The home side are the strong favourites to win in this lunchtime start as they are soaring this season and are currently occupying third place, while Nottingham Forest are in 17th position and just four points outside of the drop zone. Each side are entering the game on the back of a loss as Villa were defeated 4-1 by league-leading Arsenal and Forest fell 2-0 to Everton. It will be a challenging task for Forest to obtain all three points with Villa having one of the best home records in Europe at the moment and they also recorded a club record of 36 wins across all competitions this season. But maybe it’s new year, new story? The answer will be revealed very soon. The confirmed XIs will be announced shortly before kick-off at 12.30pm GMT.
Team News The starting XIs have been announced. Unai Emery has made four changes to his starting XI who lost 4-1 to Arsenal last time out. Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Lindelof, Maatsen, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Buendia, Rogers, Watkins. Substitutes: Bizot, Digne, Sancho, Garcia, Carroll, Bogarde, Hemmings, Malen, Jimoh-Aloba. Forest have also made four changes to their matchday squad after a 2-0 loss to Everton. Nott’m Forest: Victor, Williams, Murillo, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, I Jesus, Hutchinson, Bakwa, Milenkovic, Aina. Bench: Sels, Morato, Awoniyi, Luiz, Kalimuendo, McAtee, Zinchenko, Savona, Abbott.
Dugout Insights Forest boss Sean Dyche has remarked on his opponent today: "He’s [Unai Emery] done a excellent job as a manager there. Their transfer business has been good - invested a lot of money, to be fair, on some top players and they’ve shaped it into a strong side, so certainly a difficult game. We’ve just shown lately, we’ve taken on some of the bigger teams, or the ones that are tipped every year, and done very well against them - and a couple of teams perhaps not as fancied, we haven't performed as strongly against them. That’s likely the challenge of the group - meeting the expectation of each game rather than just the big games."
Player Situation The midfielder has will not be staying at Aston Villa, an update that was stated by the manager Emery in the build-up to this match. The boss commented: "I am respecting him as much as possible because he’s a excellent professional, very respectful. The problem we have with Harvey is this year he is on loan and if he is featuring regularly, we must buy him. We made the decision two months ago we are not persuaded to make the move permanent, spending the money we need."
Form Guide The tables have turned. This time last year Nottingham Forest were third in the table, where Villa are now. A lot of things have shifted, including the manager twice and the current boss is charged with keeping the club in the Premier League this season. Since being appointed on 21 October, Dyche has secured 10 Premier League points and the side are just outside the bottom three with 19 games of the season to go.