Odds courtesy of TonyBet.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Odds
Villa is a slim +124 home moneyline favorite at soccer betting sites. Forest, meanwhile, sits at +229 odds. A draw is priced at +245, and the total is set at 2.5 goals, with negative odds on both sides.
The Lions have been the more successful side in this clash in recent memory, winning three of the last five meetings and losing only one. Last term, they met in the Europa League Semifinals as well, with Villa winning 4-1 on aggregate.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Analysis
Considering Villa are the Europa League holders and a club playing Champions League football, they’ve had quite a rough start to the new Premier League campaign. While there’s no question this past summer brought immense turnover to the squad, going winless through three games is not ideal. What’s even more concerning is that Unai Emery’s men have yet to find the back of the net in league play. Needless to say, they’re sorely missing Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers, who both secured moves elsewhere.
On a more positive note, Villa opened their European season on Tuesday with three points, beating Belgian giants Club Brugge 3-2. John McGinn, Emi Buendia, and summer signing Nicolas Jackson all rattled the back of the net, with Jackson’s goal his first in a Lions shirt after his move from Chelsea. Villa will now be looking to ride this momentum and snatch a much-needed domestic victory.
Forest are in a very similar position as Villa early on. They’re in 16th spot with two draws and a defeat while scoring just twice. Those two goals came in a hard-fought stalemate against Liverpool a couple of weeks ago. The Tricky Trees followed that up with a scoreless draw vs Tottenham over the weekend. This side is undoubtedly struggling in the final third, and they’ll be hoping Liam Delap can find his footing and be that impactful presence up top after joining from Chelsea.
A disappointing 16th-place finish last term means Forest has no European football to play this season, and new boss Oliver Glasner will be strictly focused on helping his team break into the top-six and make a return to one of the three competitions in a year’s time. However, Saturday’s clash will be difficult, despite the hosts’ recent struggles. Forest hasn’t won at Villa Park since 1994. History is not on the visitors’ side.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Injury News
Aston Villa remain without Amadou Onana and Leon Goretzka due to knee injuries, while Brian Madjo is also sidelined with an ankle issue. Johan Manzambi is nearing a return from a knee injury but remains a doubt, while Matty Cash will require a late fitness check after missing Tuesday’s Champions League win over Club Brugge with muscular discomfort. João Gomes is also unavailable through suspension.
Nottingham Forest have far fewer availability concerns heading into Saturday. Nicolò Savona is expected to miss out with a knee injury, while midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré is considered doubtful due to a calf problem.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Picks
Both sides have lacked the end product so far, but there’s no shortage of attacking talent in these two teams, and BTTS has hit in five consecutive Premier League meetings. We’ll see goals on Saturday at Villa Park.
Pick: BTTS -143/TonyBet
