Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Prediction, Tips and Odds | Premier League

Aston Villa welcome Nottingham Forest to Villa Park on Saturday in a Premier League fixture between two sides still searching for their first league win of the 2026-27 campaign, with the West Midland hosts sitting 17th on one point from three matches, while the visitors are 16th with two points.

The question here is whether Unai Emery's squad can convert a midweek Champions League confidence boost into domestic form after failing to find the net in any of their opening three league fixtures, a task not made any easier by the fact that Oliver Glasner's side have already demonstrated an ability to compete against established sides, drawing 2-2 at Liverpool and 0-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur in their last two league outings.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest form and preview

Villa's Premier League campaign has produced zero goals in three games, a run that includes a 4-0 hammering at Brighton and Hove Albion, a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal and a goalless draw at Hull City.

The current run is reminiscent of their poor start to the 2025-26 season, when Emery's side also went their opening four league matches without finding the net, and the Villans are now seeking to avoid becoming the first team in England's top four divisions to go goalless in their first four fixtures of a league campaign in successive seasons.

The West Midland side will enter this weekend's domestic encounter looking to build on their continental success in midweek, when Emery's men beat Club Brugge 3-2 in their opening fixture of the Champions League, courtesy of first-half goals from John McGinn, Emiliano Buendia and Nicolas Jackson.

However, the turnaround between the two fixtures is only three full days, a schedule that raises questions about the physical condition of a squad that has undergone radical change this summer.

The claret and blue sold Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, Leon Bailey and Emiliano Martinez during the transfer window and brought in several new faces, including Jackson from Chelsea, Leon Goretzka from Bayern Munich and Aaron Wan-Bissaka from West Ham United.

The integration process is still visibly incomplete, with Emery acknowledging that the new arrivals need time to adapt to his tactical structure.

Nottingham Forest's Premier League form reads two draws and one defeat from the opening three rounds, with the loss coming at home to Leeds United on the opening day.

Since that 1-0 home defeat, Glasner's side have picked up consecutive draws against Liverpool and Tottenham, conceding just two goals across those two fixtures and showing the defensive structure that has underpinned their early-season approach.

The visitors arrive in Birmingham having conceded only three Premier League goals in three matches, compared to five conceded by the hosts in the same period.

Dan Ndoye and Morgan Gibbs-White are the only players from the East Midland club to have found the net in the league so far, both scoring in the 2-2 draw at Anfield.

Last season proved a chastening one for the Tricky Trees, who finished 16th after being embroiled in a relegation battle for large parts of the campaign, and Glasner's side must find a way to halt this winless start to avoid another scrap at the wrong end of the table.

Team news: Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest injuries and predicted XIs

Aston Villa

Amadou Onana's ACL rupture is the most significant long-term absence, with the Belgian midfielder facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Goretzka has not yet made his Villa debut, with the summer signing from Bayern Munich describing his setback as his body reacting to the increased workload after a prolonged spell away from the pitch, and indicating that he hopes to return after the October international break.

Joao Gomes is suspended domestically after his red card for violent conduct on his Villa debut against Brighton on August 23, though the ban does not apply to European competition, which is why the Brazilian played against Club Brugge in midweek.

Brian Madjo has been ruled out with an ankle and foot injury, while Matty Cash is being assessed after missing the Brugge match with muscular tightness and is rated at around a 50% chance of involvement.

Johan Manzambi is training with the group after his World Cup knee injury but is only rated at 25%, with Emery indicating on September 4 that the midfielder would need some more days before he is ready for either the Champions League fixture or the Forest match.

Nottingham Forest

Nicolo Savona remains the only absentee for the visitors, with Glasner confirming on September 10 that the right-back has suffered a few setbacks with his knee injury and that the club are progressing slowly with no pressure on his return timeline.

Ibrahim Sangare is fit and available after recovering from a calf problem, with Glasner confirming on September 3 that everyone bar Savona is fit, giving him 20 on-field players to select from.

Daniel Munoz made his Forest debut off the bench in the second half of last weekend's goalless draw with Tottenham, and it would be no surprise to see the Colombian full-back handed his first start on Saturday under a manager he already knows well from their season together at Crystal Palace last term.

Predicted XIs: Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest

Aston Villa predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Suzuki; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Barkley; McGinn, Buendia, Hemmings; Jackson.

Nottingham Forest predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Sels; Milenkovic, Cunha, Murillo; Munoz, Schlager, McAtee, Williams; Gibbs-White, Jesus; Delap.

Head-to-head: Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest

The hosts have won three of the last five meetings across all competitions, including a dominant 4-0 Europa League victory at Villa Park in May 2026 and a 3-1 league win at the same ground in January 2026.

Forest's only win in the sequence came in the Europa League semi-final second leg, a 1-0 victory at the City Ground in April 2026, while the other meeting was a 1-1 draw at Forest's ground in the Premier League.

The Reds have not won at Villa Park since October 1994, but that statistic covers squads and eras that bear no resemblance to the current sides, limiting its predictive value.

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Our Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest prediction and tips

For punters assessing the match, the best football betting sites have this priced as a tight contest, and our view is that both sides will find the net in a game that finishes level. Those exploring newly launched UK betting sites will find competitive odds on this fixture. For more on how football betting works, take a look at our betting guides.