Aston Villa will host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, hoping to end a three-game losing streak at home, according to Promotion.com. Unai Emery's side came off a 2-1 win over Fulham in the last league fixture, while Nottingham Forest also won 2-0 against West Ham United. Despite a series of recent setbacks at Villa Park, Aston Villa's away form has been lauded, with a five-game unbeaten run at the Craven Lodge base last weekend.
Ollie Watkins scored twice in the opening hour – his 12th and 13th in the top flight this season – to cement the lead. Even if Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz later pulled one back, it was too late for them to change the tide of the game. Wolves' victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium saw Villa jump to fourth place in the table, just two points ahead of Tottenham, and the battle for Champions League qualification intensifies.
However, the victory over Fulham was only the second in seven games under Unai Emery. They had previously lost to Newcastle United, Chelsea and Manchester United at Villa Park in succession, including league and FA Cup defeats. Villa have not suffered four consecutive defeats in the Premier League since the days of Dean Smith. This season, Nottingham Forest's Tevo Awoniyi was in excellent form against West Ham United, scoring the crucial goal.
After Hammers' new signing Kalvin Phillips was sent off, Forest capitalised on the opportunity to earn their first Premier League win of 2024 with two goals from Awoniyi and resurgent Callum Hudson-Odoi. Despite a poor start to the season, Santo's side are now four points above the relegation zone, but the road to relegation remains bumpy.
Aston Villa will be looking to turn things around with home advantage in the upcoming fixture, while Nottingham Forest will be looking to continue their consistent scoring streak and both sides will be keen to get a positive result in this crucial matchup.