Nottingham Forest take on Aston Villa this weekend in what should be an interesting encounter between two sides with their eyes set on securing European football for next season.
- Date: 14/12/2024
- Kick-off time: 17:30
- Location: City Ground, Nottingham
Nottingham Forest are enjoying their best season in the top flight since 2002-03 as they find themselves 5th in the Premier League with 25 points from 15 games. Under Nuno Espírito Santo, Forest have evolved into a strong, well-organised unit that can consistently compete with the best sides in the division.
Since their return to the Premier League, Forest have seen nothing but relegation battles and have been plagued by persistent defensive issues. However, they’ve done a complete 180 since Santo’s arrival, with a watertight defence now the foundation of their success. Forest have conceded just 18 goals in 15 games in the league, a rate bettered by only Liverpool and Arsenal, a truly excellent feat given they conceded a combined 137 goals in the last two Premier League seasons.
In Chris Wood, Forest also have one of the most reliable strikers in the league, with the New Zealand international having scored ten league goals so far, making him one of the most prolific scorers in the league. Add to that the unpredictability and the dynamism of players like Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi, and you can see why Forest are such a well-rounded side.
Forest fans will now see this season as a free hit given relegation will clearly not be a concern this season, and while finishing 5th is ultimately an unlikely outcome, they’ll fancy their chances of claiming a Europa Conference League place from here.
Aston Villa are currently 6th in the Premier League with 25 points from 15 games. Villa’s start to the season has, on balance, been solid, even if their form has been pretty volatile. Having finished 4th last season, Villa invested fairly heavily in their squad over the summer, and they came into this campaign hoping to consolidate their position amongst the elite. While their overall performance in the league might have been short of what they wanted, they’re still in a pretty strong position. Villa are only two points short of Manchester City in 4th, and given the form of the Champions, they’ll no doubt believe they can work their way back into the top four.
Villa have been decent at both ends of the pitch, scoring 23 goals and conceding 23 goals in the league. Villa’s top scorer in all competitions is currently Jhon Durán, with ten goals, and with Ollie Watkins’ form slightly short of where it was last season, there are calls for the young Colombian to become the team’s starting striker. Durán has proved a mercurial talent with match-winning capability, so if he can continue to develop, he could be the difference between Villa making the top four or missing out entirely.
After a really poor run, Villa’s form has picked up quickly in recent weeks, and they enter this game in a very good place. A win here could see them in 4th by the end of the weekend, so Emery’s side will be going all-out for three points here.
Premier League 
