Turning their attention back to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon, Aston Villa will host local rivals Nottingham Forest.

Ahead of a stacked schedule from across England’s elite this weekend, there are plenty of eye-catching betting promotions available.

Verdict: Aston Villa draw no bet

Best Odds: 7/10

Bookmaker: BetUS

Aston Villa

Starting with the hosts, getting their Champions League adventure underway with a rollercoaster 3-2 victory away at Belgium giants Club Brugge on Tuesday evening, Aston Villa will be desperate to use that action-packed performance as a platform to build on. However, opening up the 2026/27 campaign with a nightmare display as they slumped to a woeful 4-0 drumming at the hands of Brighton on August 23rd, Unai Emery has made his domestic frustrations abundantly clear. Despite shattering a string of records last season as they were crowned Europa League champions thanks to an iconic 3-0 victory against Freiburg in Istanbul back in May, Villa have drastically failed to find their feet this time around. In fact, Saturday’s hosts have put just a single point on the board from any of their first three Premier League appearances.

Aston Villa Team News

Suffering a knee injury last week before making his Aston Villa debut, summer recruit and ex-Bayern Munich superstar Leon Goretzka will miss out here. Likewise, fellow new recruit and Swiss starlet Johan Manzambi remains on the sidelines with his own respective knee issue.

However, completing a Deadline Day move from Southampton, England international Taylor Harwood-Bellis could make his Premier League debut on Saturday afternoon. Arriving from Parma over the summer in a reported £30million move, Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki will start between the sticks at Villa Park.

Nottingham Forest

As for the visitors, while there might have been a huge amount of excitement around the City Ground following Oliver Glasner’s shock appointment back in July, Nottingham Forest have failed to make much of an immediate impact under the ex-Crystal Palace boss. Missing out on what they had billed as a potential opportunity last time out as they were eventually forced to settle for a controversial 0-0 stalemate at home against Tottenham, Saturday’s guests are still waiting to put a maiden domestic victory on the board. Watching their EFL Cup adventure come to an end on August 25th as they slumped to a 2-0 loss at the hands of Leeds, Glasner’s side have failed to win any of their opening four showdowns across all competitions (two defeats, two draws).

Nottingham Forest Team News

Still waiting to make a maiden appearance this season and enduring a frustrating time since arriving from Italian giants Juventus last year, Nicolo Savona remains on the sidelines with a long-term knee injury. However, aside from the Italian defender, Nottingham Forest have a clean bill of health.

Completing a big-money summer switch from Sporting Lisbon, Ivory Coast international Ousmane Diomande will be hoping to get some more minutes under his belt. Fellow new recruit and now-former Chelsea striker Liam Delap should keep his spot leading the line at Villa Park this weekend.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Key Factors to Consider

  • When Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest met in the Europa League semi-finals last season, Emery’s men clinched a 4-1 aggregate victory.
  • In fact, Saturday’s hosts have won all of their previous five consecutive showdowns against their local rivals at Villa Park by an aggregate score of 15-4.
  • Forest have remarkably failed to claim a single competitive victory at Villa Park since way back in October 1994.
  • Along with mustering just one-point from their first three Premier League appearances, Villa are also waiting to clinch a maiden domestic strike.
  • Nottingham Forest have failed to win any of their opening four matchups across all competitions (two defeats, two draws).

Conclusion

Claiming an essential Champions League boost in midweek as they opened their European adventure with a rollercoaster 3-2 victory away at Club Brugge, Aston Villa will be desperate to use that performance as a platform to build on. Still waiting to put a maiden Premier League victory on the board, Saturday’s hosts should be excited by a dominant recent record against their local foes. Landing a 4-1 aggregate victory when they met Forest en route to their Europa League success back in May, they have also won all of their previous five straight showdowns against Glasner’s side at Villa Park. It should also be noted, Forest have remarkably not claimed a single competitive victory across the Midlands since way back in 1994.

Verdict: Aston Villa draw no bet

Best Odds: 7/10

Bookmaker: BetUS

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