🔗 Share this article Villa versus Forest: Top-Flight Match Preview Introduction Greetings and welcome to this English top-flight clash between Aston Villa and Forest. The home side are the strong favourites to win in this early kick-off as they are excelling this season and are currently occupying third place, while Forest are 17th and just four points outside of the drop zone. Both clubs are entering the game following a loss as Villa were beaten 4-1 by league-leading Arsenal and Forest fell 2-0 to Everton. This shapes up as a challenging task for Sean Dyche’s side to obtain all three points with Villa boasting one of the best home records in Europe at the moment and they also recorded a club record of 36 wins across all competitions this season. But perhaps it’s new year, new story? We will find out very soon. The starting lineups will be announced shortly before the start at 12.30pm GMT. Starting Elevens The team news is in. Unai Emery has made a quartet of alterations to his starting lineup who were defeated by 4-1 to Arsenal last time around. Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Lindelof, Maatsen, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Buendia, Rogers, Watkins. Bench: Bizot, Digne, Sancho, Garcia, Carroll, Bogarde, Hemmings, Malen, Jimoh-Aloba. Nottingham Forest have also made four changes to their starting squad after a 2-0 defeat to Everton. Nott’m Forest: Victor, Williams, Murillo, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, I Jesus, Hutchinson, Bakwa, Milenkovic, Aina. Substitutes: Sels, Morato, Awoniyi, Luiz, Kalimuendo, McAtee, Zinchenko, Savona, Abbott. Dugout Insights Forest boss Sean Dyche has commented on his counterpart today: "He has done a excellent job as a manager there. Their signings has been strong - invested a lot of money, to be fair, on some very good players and they’ve moulded it into a strong side, so definitely a tough game. We’ve just shown lately, we’ve played against some of the larger clubs, or the ones that are favoured every year, and held our own against them - and a couple of teams perhaps not as highly-rated, we haven’t done as well against them. That’s likely the test of the group - rising to the challenge of each game rather than just the major fixtures." Transfer Update The midfielder has will not be staying at Aston Villa, news that was revealed by the manager Unai Emery in the build-up to this match. The boss commented: "I am respecting him as much as possible because he’s a very good professional, very respectful. The issue we have with Harvey is this year he is on loan and if he is featuring regularly, we must buy him. We made the decision two months ago we are not convinced to make the move permanent, committing the money we would need to." Form Guide The tables have turned. This time last year Nottingham Forest were third in the table, where Aston Villa are now. A lot of things have changed, including the manager twice and Sean Dyche is charged with keeping the club in the top-flight this season. Since being appointed on 21 October, Dyche has won 10 Premier League points and the side are just above the bottom three with 19 games of the season to go.
Introduction Greetings and welcome to this English top-flight clash between Aston Villa and Forest. The home side are the strong favourites to win in this early kick-off as they are excelling this season and are currently occupying third place, while Forest are 17th and just four points outside of the drop zone. Both clubs are entering the game following a loss as Villa were beaten 4-1 by league-leading Arsenal and Forest fell 2-0 to Everton. This shapes up as a challenging task for Sean Dyche’s side to obtain all three points with Villa boasting one of the best home records in Europe at the moment and they also recorded a club record of 36 wins across all competitions this season. But perhaps it’s new year, new story? We will find out very soon. The starting lineups will be announced shortly before the start at 12.30pm GMT.
Starting Elevens The team news is in. Unai Emery has made a quartet of alterations to his starting lineup who were defeated by 4-1 to Arsenal last time around. Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Lindelof, Maatsen, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Buendia, Rogers, Watkins. Bench: Bizot, Digne, Sancho, Garcia, Carroll, Bogarde, Hemmings, Malen, Jimoh-Aloba. Nottingham Forest have also made four changes to their starting squad after a 2-0 defeat to Everton. Nott’m Forest: Victor, Williams, Murillo, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, I Jesus, Hutchinson, Bakwa, Milenkovic, Aina. Substitutes: Sels, Morato, Awoniyi, Luiz, Kalimuendo, McAtee, Zinchenko, Savona, Abbott.
Dugout Insights Forest boss Sean Dyche has commented on his counterpart today: "He has done a excellent job as a manager there. Their signings has been strong - invested a lot of money, to be fair, on some very good players and they’ve moulded it into a strong side, so definitely a tough game. We’ve just shown lately, we’ve played against some of the larger clubs, or the ones that are favoured every year, and held our own against them - and a couple of teams perhaps not as highly-rated, we haven’t done as well against them. That’s likely the test of the group - rising to the challenge of each game rather than just the major fixtures."
Transfer Update The midfielder has will not be staying at Aston Villa, news that was revealed by the manager Unai Emery in the build-up to this match. The boss commented: "I am respecting him as much as possible because he’s a very good professional, very respectful. The issue we have with Harvey is this year he is on loan and if he is featuring regularly, we must buy him. We made the decision two months ago we are not convinced to make the move permanent, committing the money we would need to."
Form Guide The tables have turned. This time last year Nottingham Forest were third in the table, where Aston Villa are now. A lot of things have changed, including the manager twice and Sean Dyche is charged with keeping the club in the top-flight this season. Since being appointed on 21 October, Dyche has won 10 Premier League points and the side are just above the bottom three with 19 games of the season to go.