2026-27 Premier League: Week Four – Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest

Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest chase their first league win of the season as they meet at Villa Park.

Sat 17th and 16th respectively, Villa and Forest can climb as high as 10th with victory if results elsewhere go in their favour.

 

Team News

Villa’s Joao Gomes is serving the last of his three-match domestic ban, having been eligible to feature in their 3-2 midweek win at Club Brugge in the Champions League.

Matty Cash (muscle), Johan Manzambi (knee) and Brian Madjo (ankle) could feature but Leon Goretzka (knee) and Amadou Onana (ACL) remain sidelined.

Forest could welcome Ibrahim Sangare back after he missed their last two matches with a calf injury.

Nicolo Savona remain sidelined with a knee injury.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Villa host Forest at Villa Park on Saturday 12 September at 3pm BST, untelevised live in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Villa have lost two of their last six league meetings against Forest (W3, D1, L2).
• Forest are winless in their last 10 league visits to Villa (D3, L7).
• Villa have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last six Premier League clashes against Forest.
• Villa have produced just one shot on target in their first three league games this season.
• Forest’s Ola Aina has been booked in two of his three league appearances this season.

 

Prediction

Having finally found their attacking flair at Club Brugge on Tuesday evening, Villa now must find a way to bring that ignited confidence into this match because this is the ideal chance to finally ignite their league campaign if can be as clinical as they were in that game.

Forest though were unlucky to not beat Tottenham thanks to a fair VAR intervention in their 0-0 draw but to have kept a first clean sheet of the season in that game will give them confidence, but they now need to finetune their end product if want that first win of the campaign.

I however do think that the desire for a first league win could see both teams cancel each other out but with that midweek win under their belt, Villa probably should have the edge.

Prediction: Aston Villa 1-0 Nottingham Forest