Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa Prediction, lineups, betting tips & odds

Both teams who are on equal points are looking to enter the top 4.

Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa lock horns at the City Ground on Saturday in a clash brimming with top-four implications in the Premier League.

Forest, revitalized under Nuno Espirito Santo, bounced back from a mid-season wobble with a pulsating 3-2 win at Old Trafford. Sitting just two points behind Manchester City in fifth, the Tricky Trees are turning heads in their quest for a Champions League spot.

Villa, under Unai Emery, endured an eight-game winless skid but have found their groove again with three consecutive victories. Their recent 3-2 thriller against RB Leipzig not only showcased their attacking verve but also restored their confidence ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.

Locked on 25 points with Forest, Villa will look to leapfrog their Midlands rivals and solidify their European aspirations. It’s a question of, who can fight the nerves and secure the berth.

Under the lights against Villa at home. ✨ pic.twitter.com/uzMV1o08gH

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) December 14, 2024

Kick-off

Saturday, December 14, 5:30 pm UK (11 pm IST)

Location: City Ground Stadium

Form

Forest (in the PL): L-L-W-L-W

Aston Villa (in the PL): L-D-L-W-W

Players to watch

Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)

The veteran striker grabbing the league by its chokehold. Yes, ladies and gents. Enter Chris Wood into the fray. He has been a one tricky guy for the tricky trees.

Ever since Nuno has been at the helm, Wood has scored 19 non-penalty goals, that’s level with COLD Palmer. He has 10 goals this season, that’s three less than the joint-holders, but still, there’s a long way for him to chase that.

Chris Wood is a Nottingham Forest record breaker!!#nffc pic.twitter.com/WN6IU6L9rP

— BBC Nottingham Sport (@BBCRNS) December 7, 2024

Jhon Duran (Aston Villa)

Here’s a stat to begin with, when it comes to Duran: the boy has only started four games and has 10 goals. Call him a super-sub, but that would be an understatement of what he cooks for the Villans on the field. It won’t be long before he becomes the hottest name in Europe with the way he has scored the bangers. But for now, let’s keep an eye on him under Emery.

Jhon Durán only scores bangers ☄️(via @AVFCOfficial)pic.twitter.com/7OgIBIrTLJ

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 11, 2024

Match facts

• Forest have just won once in their last 11 games against Villa
• Aston Villa are winless in their last five away trips to Nottingham with four games ending in a draw
• Both of them have lost a game each out of their last three PL games

Nottingham Forest vs. Aston Villa: Betting tips & odds

• Tip 1: Match to end in a draw-5/2 888sport
• Tip 2: Wood to score-2/1 Bet365
• Tip 3: Over 3 goals-6/4 Betfair

Injury & team news

Forest will be without Danilo (ankle) and Ibrahim Sangare, while Alex Moreno remains sidelined with an undisclosed issue.

Aston Villa face fitness concerns with Ollie Watkins (knock) listed as doubtful, while Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey are sidelined until late December with hamstring injuries.

Head-to-head

Games: 18

Forest: 3

Aston Villa: 7

Draws: 8

Predicted lineups

Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)

Sels; Murillo, Williams, Milenkovic, Aina; Anderson, Gibbs-White; Hudson-Odoi, J Silva, Yates; Wood

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)

Martinez; Carlos, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; McGinn, Tielemans; Rogers, Philogene, Kamara; Duran

Match predictions

Forest and Villa are in a tug of war for the UCL qualification. It’ll be a good battle between the two sides but we predict both teams to share the spoils.

Prediction: Forest 2 – 2 Aston Villa

Telecast

India: Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar

UK: Sky Sports, TNT Sports

USA: NBC Sports

Nigeria: SuperSport, NTA, Sporty TV

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