Aston Villa will host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Saturday, looking to keep their UEFA Champions League qualification hopes alive.

Aston Villa are coming into this game vs Nottingham Forest on the back of five consecutive victories in all competitions, and they will be confident of getting the job done here.

On the other hand, Nottingham Forest are the favourites to finish the best of the rest behind Liverpool and Arsenal, as they are in exceptional form right now. The Tricky Trees have picked up five wins in a row across all competitions, and they will be confident of getting a good result here.

Matches between these two sides have been packed with goals, and this one could be another cracking contest. Nottingham Forest managed to beat Aston Villa earlier on in the season, and they will look to complete the league double over the West Midlands club. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Aston Villa

Unai Emery will be without Ross Barkley, who misses out with a calf injury. Aston Villa will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Nottingham Forest, with Emiliano Martinez in goal.

Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Ezri Konsa will form the central defensive partnership alongside Axel Disasi.

As for the midfield unit, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans will look to add control and drive to the side from the deep. Leon Bailey and Marcus Rashford will add pace, flair and creativity to the side from the wide areas.

Meanwhile, Morgan Rogers will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. Finally, Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Disasi, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Bailey, Rogers, Rashford; Watkins

Nottingham Forest

Ola Aina is the only injury worry for the home side due to a calf injury. Meanwhile, Alex Moreno is ineligible to face his parent club Aston Villa.

Nottingham Forest will shape up in a 3-4-3 formation vs Aston Villa, with Matz Sels in goal. Neco Williams and Ryan Yates will start as the wing-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Nikola Milenkovic will start alongside Murillo and Morato in the central defensive partnership.

As for the midfield unit, Nicolas Dominguez will start alongside Elliot Anderson in the double pivot, and they will look to add defensive cover to the side. Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi will look to add pace, flair and goals to the side from the wide areas. Finally, Chris Wood will spearhead the Nottingham Forest attack vs Aston Villa on Saturday.

Probable Lineup (3-1): Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Yates; Dominguez, Anderson;  Gibbs-White, Wood, Hudson-Odoi

Key Stats

• Aston Villa have won their last five matches in all competitions.
• Nottingham Forest have won their last five matches in all competitions.
• Aston Villa have scored at least two goals in their last five home matches vs Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
• Nottingham Forest have scored at least two goals in their last three matches vs Aston Villa in all competitions.
• 19 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.

Player to Watch

Ollie Watkins

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The England international striker has done quite well for Aston Villa this season, and he is our key player to watch out for. Watkins will look to hold up the ball and create opportunities for his teammates in the final third.

Nottingham Forest have done quite well defensively, and Aston Villa will need Watkins on top form if they want to win this game. The home side’s star striker has 13 goals and six assists in the Premier League this season, and he will look to add to his tally with a strong performance here.

Prediction

Aston Villa 2-1 Nottingham Forest

The last two meetings between these two sides have produced a total of nine goals. This is likely to be an open contest, and neither team will look to sit back and defend. There will be plenty of chances on offer, and a high-scoring contest is likely.

Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, but Aston Villa have been formidable at home, and they are full of confidence and momentum right now. They should be able to grind out a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Unai Emery and his charges.