Aston Villa welcome Nottingham Forest to Villa Park on Saturday afternoon aiming to secure their first Premier League points of the season. Unai Emery’s squad head into the fixture buoyed by a 3-2 Champions League victory away at Club Brugge in midweek, which ended a run of three domestic matches without a win or a goal.
The attacking drought has been a concern in the league, where Villa sit nineteenth for expected goals after opening fixtures against Brighton, Arsenal and Hull City. Emery described the European triumph in Belgium as a significant step forward, and his players will hope to carry that sharpness back into domestic competition.
Forest arrive in similar need of a breakthrough, having failed to win any of their first three Premier League matches under new manager Oliver Glasner. Two draws and a defeat leave the visitors searching for momentum, although they did earn a point at Anfield against Liverpool last time out in the league.
Villa hold a strong record in this fixture at home, having beaten Forest in each of their last six Premier League meetings on their own ground. The two clubs also met in European competition last term, with Emery’s side progressing comfortably through a two-legged tie decided largely by a dominant second-leg performance at Villa Park.
In terms of personnel, the hosts face several absences. New signing Leon Goretzka remains sidelined with a knee problem, while Amadou Onana continues his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Joao Gomes serves the final match of a three-game suspension, and Matty Cash is considered doubtful after experiencing muscle fatigue during the midweek trip.
Deadline-day arrival Taylor Harwood-Bellis is available for selection having been ineligible for the Champions League squad, potentially challenging Victor Lindelof for a place alongside Pau Torres in central defence. Nicolas Jackson, who opened his account for the club against Club Brugge, is expected to lead the line once more.
This represents only Villa’s second home league outing of the campaign. Following Saturday’s match, the team will not play at Villa Park again until after the upcoming international break, when Brentford visit for the next Premier League fixture.
