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Both Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will be looking to pick up their first win of the 2026-27 Premier League campaign when they face off at Villa Park on Saturday.
Unai Emery's side have made a poor start to the season, picking up just one point from their opening three games while failing to find the net in any of those matches.
Forest have shown resilience in their previous two games, picking up successive draws, but they have an abysmal record at Villa Park, having lost in each of their last six matches there.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest key stats
- Nottingham Forest have lost nine of their 18 Premier League games against Aston Villa.
- Five of last seven meetings between the two sides have produced Over 2.5 goals.
- Both teams have scored in five of the last seven meetings between the two sides.
- Aston Villa have scored in six of their last seven games against Nottingham Forest.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest preview: Can Villa pick up their first win?
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest — Tale of the Tape
| Aston Villa | vs | Nottingham Forest |
|---|---|---|
| 18th | Position | 16th |
| 1 | Points | 2 |
| 0 | Goals For | 2 |
| 5 | Goals Against | 3 |
| 1 | Clean Sheets | 1 |
| 16th | Home / Away Rank | 9th |
Aston Villa signed 11 new players during the summer transfer window while also selling some of their star performers in recent years, and the effects of that transition are already evident.
Villa started the 2026-27 Premier League campaign with a heavy 4-0 defeat to Brighton before suffering a 1-0 loss to Arsenal in their first game at Villa Park.
They avoided a third consecutive defeat with a goalless draw against newly promoted Hull City, and will be aiming to move out of the relegation zone with a win over Forest on Saturday.
The Villans will be buoyed by their fantastic 3-2 win over Club Brugge in midweek in the Champions League, where summer signing Nicolas Jackson found the net for the first time.
Forest narrowly avoided relegation in the 2025-26 campaign and made a managerial change, with Oliver Glasner taking charge of the club after guiding Crystal Palace to the Conference League trophy last season.
The Tricky Trees narrowly lost 1-0 to Leeds United at the City Ground in their opening game before suffering another defeat to the same opponent, losing 2-0 in the EFL Cup.
Glasner's side produced a strong performance at Anfield, frustrating Liverpool to earn a deserved 2-2 draw, before boosting their confidence with another goalless draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
Only Brentford, Bournemouth and Leeds have drawn more Premier League games than Forest's 10 in 2026, but Glasner will not mind another stalemate if his side can hold on for a draw at Villa Park this weekend.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest form guide & betting tips
| Aston Villa | vs | Nottingham Forest |
|---|---|---|
LLD |
Form | LDD |
| 1 | Points | 2 |
| 17th | Form Table | 16th |
| 0 | Goals For | 2 |
| 5 | Goals Against | 3 |
LLDW |
Form (All Comps) | LLDD |
Whispers predicts: Aston Villa 2-1 Nottingham Forest
The win in midweek should give Aston Villa a confidence boost ahead of this game, and considering their impressive record against Forest at Villa Park, they can be backed to win at 5/4 (2.25).
Villa have scored first in six of their last seven matches against Forest, and they are priced at 17/20 (1.85) to open the scoring on Saturday.
Both teams have scored in five of the last seven meetings between the two sides, making BTTS – Yes at 5/6 (1.83) a tempting offer.
Nine of the last 10 matches between the two sides have produced fewer than 11 corners, making Under 10.5 corners at 4/6 (1.67) a probable option.
> Match result: Aston Villa win at 5/4 (2.25) | Likelihood: Probable
> Villa to score first at 17/20 (1.85) | Likelihood: Probable
> BTTS – Yes at 5/6 (1.83) | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 10.5 corners at 4/6 (1.67) | Likelihood: Probable