Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Prediction
🔊 Can Aston Villa bounce back from their first defeat in 12 matches? In the 20th round of the Premier League, the Lions will host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park. The Tricky Trees are currently on a three-game losing streak in the league. Will the visitors break their run of bad form, or will the hosts reignite their title chase? Let's evaluate the odds for both teams in our editorial prediction.
Head-to-Head
📊 Since 2022, when Nottingham returned to the Premier League after a long absence, the teams have faced each other six times. Aston Villa hold a slight edge with three wins to Nottingham's two. They also played to a draw once. Notably, in four of these six head-to-head clashes, both teams found the back of the net.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
Aston Villa Team Overview
It's hard to believe now that Aston Villa were in the relegation zone after the first four rounds of the Premier League. Since then, 15 matches have passed, during which the "Lions" have climbed from 19th to third place. This rise was fueled by a streak of eight consecutive league victories. The Villans have firmly established themselves in the Champions League spots, pulling nine points clear of fifth place.
However, every successful run eventually comes to an end. In the 19th round, Unai Emery's side traveled to London to face Arsenal, a team they recently defeated in Birmingham (2-1). A repeat of that home fixture was not on the cards, despite the visitors enjoying a slight territorial advantage (53% to 47%). The Gunners took twice as many shots at the Villans' goal (22 to 11), resulting in a resounding 4-1 defeat.
Match Results: Aston Villa
Nottingham Forest Team Overview
Seven rounds ago in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest were in the relegation zone. The Foresters have managed to climb out of the basement of the table, but aspirations beyond that remain limited for now. Just one win in their last five league matches has kept them in 17th place. They hold a four-point cushion over the 18th spot.
In their latest Premier League outing, Sean Dyche's side hosted Everton. The match unfolded under the hosts' control, with a dominant 70% to 30% possession advantage. In terms of chances and attacking threat, the Foresters nearly doubled their visitors, registering 21 shots with an xG of 2.26 compared to Everton's 11 shots with an xG of 0.96. Despite such dominance, Nottingham fell to a 2-0 defeat.
Match Results: Nottingham Forest
Latest news
Aston Villa
🎙 Unai Emery chose not to shake hands with Arsenal's head coach Mikel Arteta after their head-to-head encounter. Here's how the Spaniard explained his actions: “After the match, I always wait to shake hands with the other coach, but Mikel was with his coaching staff, and I couldn't wait for him. Of course, I was there, but it's not a problem. I went to the dressing room.”
❌ Aston Villa's injury list still includes Ross Barkley and Pau Torres. However, Tyrone Mings is nearing a return-his participation in the upcoming match remains uncertain, as does Amadou Onana's, who couldn't finish the game against Arsenal. Additionally, Evann Guessan has departed to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Nottingham Forest
🎙 Nottingham Forest's head coach took a jab at his former club Everton following their defeat in the head-to-head clash. "I trained them well, you know. No complaints about them-they played well on the road. The Liverpool side kept their resolve despite some less-than-impressive stats," said Sean Dyche.
❌ Sean Dyche will be without at least five players for the upcoming Premier League fixture. Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangaré have left for the Africa Cup of Nations. Chris Wood, Dan Ndoye, and Ryan Yates are sidelined with injuries. There are also concerns about Ola Aina, who has only played three matches this season. However, he was spotted with the reserve team this week. The defender might be in contention for a spot in the squad against Aston Villa.
🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards
The main referee for the match is Simon Hooper. Over his last 20 Premier League matches, he averages 4.6 yellow cards per game. However, the last four head-to-head encounters between the teams have not reached such numbers, with no more than four yellow cards shown in each match. With a busy holiday schedule ahead, neither team wants to lose players to injuries or suspensions due to yellow card accumulation. We believe a bet on under 4.5 total yellow cards is a smart choice.
⚽️ Goal Prediction
Aston Villa heavily relies on individual players, as evidenced by Amadou Onana's injury in their recent match against Arsenal. After his substitution, the Lions' midfield fell apart, and Emiliano Martinez had to pick the ball out of his net four times. Moreover, the Birmingham side has conceded in seven consecutive games. Nevertheless, Villa's attack remains potent, with new heroes emerging each Premier League round. Emiliano Buendia, Morgan Rogers, and even the rejuvenated Ollie Watkins have made their mark. Given these circumstances, there's a high likelihood that both teams will score (yes).
🚩 Corner Prediction
Despite expectations that Sean Dyche would simplify Nottingham's style of play, the Forest team continues to maintain significant possession. While the English manager has introduced more direct play, the squad's quality allows the Reds to develop positional attacks. This has kept them in the top six of the Premier League for average corners earned (5.53 over 19 rounds). In 12 of their last 14 matches and 6 of their last 7 away games, Forest have taken at least four corners. We anticipate this trend will continue against Aston Villa, who don't mind playing on the counter. Our prediction: Nottingham Forest over 3.5 total corners.
Editor's Prediction
Aston Villa, despite the end of their flawless run of 11 matches, remain a formidable force, especially at home. At Villa Park, Unai Emery's side have lost just once this season, and against Nottingham, they haven't been defeated since their shared time in the Championship. Yes, the Lions do have some defensive issues, but we believe this shouldn't prevent the hosts from scoring more to secure all three points. Our prediction: Aston Villa win. Expected scoreline - 2-1.
Betting Tips: Aston Villa - Nottingham Forest
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Comparison of Teams Stats
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