Verdict: Ollie Watkins over 0.5 shots on target
Best Odds: 7/10
Bookmaker: Olympusbet
Two camps who will turn their attention back to Premier League duties on Sunday afternoon, Nottingham Forest will welcome Aston Villa to the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest
Starting with the hosts, while Nottingham Forest might have made a string of alterations away in Portugal on Thursday night, Vitor Pereira’s side will take plenty of positives away from a rugged performance on foreign soil. Getting their Europa League quarter-final adventure underway with a hard-fought 1-1 stalemate away at Porto, the former Wolves boss has now seen his squad suffered just a single defeat from any of their previous six appearances across all competitions. Heading into March’s international break with what could be a season-defining 3-0 romp away at fellow relegation scrappers Tottenham, Nottingham Forest will be dreaming of a repeat display on Sunday afternoon. However, it should be noted, Pereira’s men have remarkably mustered just a sole win from any of their last 10 consecutive showdowns at the City Ground – a rut that stems all the way back to December 14th.
Nottingham Forest Team News
Both dealing with respective knee injuries, Nottingham Forest will once again be without the duo of Willy Boly and former Juventus defender Nicolo Savona. While Chris Wood might have made a timely return against Porto on Thursday night following his own long-term knee issue, the New Zealand international will settle for a spot on the bench.
Serving a one-match Europa League suspension in midweek, midfield talisman Elliot Anderson will make a full return. Likewise, all settle for a spot on the bench over in Portugal a few days ago, the likes of Nico Williams, Nikola Milenkovic and Ibrahim Sangare should feature from the start.
Aston Villa
As for the visitors, getting their respective Europa League quarter-final adventure underway with a dominant performance on Thursday night, Aston Villa have certainly claimed a much-welcomed boost on either side of March’s international break. Breezing their way to a thumping 3-1 win away at Italian outfit Bologna, Unai Emery’s men are widely regarded as a standout European contender this season. Heading into March’s fortnight interval with a routine 2-0 victory at home against relegation scrappers West Ham, the one-time Arsenal boss has seen his squad win each of their last three appearances across all competitions by an aggregate score of 7-1. Landing another 3-1 win when they welcomed Nottingham Forest to the Midlands for their reverse top-flight showdown back on January 3rd, Villa will be looking to take a giant leap towards securing a lucrative Champions League ticket.
Aston Villa Team News
Still sidelined with a long-term knee injury, Aston Villa have confirmed that French midfielder Boubacar Kamara will miss the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign. However, Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho could immediately return to Emery’s squad.
Bagging a clinical Europa League brace over in Italy on Thursday night and now notching four goals in his previous five appearances across all competitions, Ollie Watkins will lead the line here. Recenetly returning from a muscle issue, Belgium international Youri Tielemans should keep his spot in the middle of the park.
Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa Key Factors to Consider
- When Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa met for their reverse Premier League showdown on January 3rd, Sunday’s guests stormed their way to a 3-0 romp in the Midlands.
- Villa have won their previous three appearances across all competitions by an aggregate score of 7-1.
- Nottingham Forest have remarkably mustered just a sole win from any of their last 10 consecutive showdowns at the City Ground – a rut that stems all the way back to December 14th.
- Likewise, Forest have also notched just a single strike in their last five straight home fixtures.
- England international Ollie Watkins has notched four goals in his last five appearances across all competitions.
Conclusion
Landing a thumping 3-1 Europa League victory away at Bologna on Thursday night, Aston Villa will be dreaming of a repeat display when they travel to the City Ground this weekend. With their sights set on taking another giant leap towards booking a lucrative Champions League return, Sunday’s guests will meet a Forest squad who have shown some major issues on home soil. In fact, Pereira’s side have remarkably claimed just a single win from any of their last 10 consecutive matchups at the City Ground across all fronts.
Verdict: Ollie Watkins over 0.5 shots on target
Best Odds: 7/10
Bookmaker: Olympusbet
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