Aston Villa stands on the cusp of solidifying their position in the top four as they prepare to host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park this Saturday. With the opportunity to extend their lead to five points, Unai Emery’s squad enters the fixture following a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Fulham in their previous outing.
This win was further fortified by Tottenham’s stumble against Wolves, opening up a chance for Villa to cement their Champions League aspirations. While Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side has a weekend off due to Chelsea’s participation in the Carabao Cup final, Villa has the added motivation to secure consecutive league triumphs and fortify their grip on a coveted top-four spot.
Nottingham Forest aims to achieve a rare feat as they visit Villa Park, eyeing their first league double over Aston Villa since the 1984-85 season, following their 2-0 victory at the City Ground in November. Villa, on the other hand, seeks to halt a concerning trend, having suffered defeats in their last two home matches. The last time they faced such adversity was back in November 2020 under Dean Smith’s tenure.
As the clash looms, Villa’s squad faces challenges with the absence of six players, including key figures like Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia, and Boubacar Kamara, who are ruled out for the remainder of the season. Additionally, Diego Carlos, Jhon Duran, and Ezri Konsa remain sidelined, posing further obstacles for Villa’s upcoming encounter.
Goalkeepers
Emi Martinez, Robin Olsen, Joe Gauci.
Defenders
Matty Cash, Kaine Kesler Hayden, Clement Lenglet, Pau Torres, Calum Chambers, Lucas Digne, Alex Moreno.
Midfielders
Douglas Luiz, John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, Moussa Diaby, Leon Bailey, Jacob Ramsey, Tim Iroegbunam.
Forwards
Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Nicolo Zaniolo.
Unavailable
Diego Carlos (hamstring), Jhon Duran (hamstring), Ezri Konsa (knee), Boubacar Kamara (knee), Emi Buendia (knee), Tyrone Mings (knee).