Aston Villa breezed to a 3-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, boosting their chances of Champions League qualification.
Nottingham Forest share the same aim and even the pessimistic members of their fan base are starting to feel confident. But who will triumph at Villa Park when these two upwardly mobile outfits go head-to-head?
Villa vs Forest best bets
- Nottingham Forest to score first – 13/10 with CopyBet
- Aston Villa to score last – 13/20 with NetBet
- Marcus Rashford to score any time – 7/4 Tote
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest odds
Find the latest match odds for Villa vs Forest. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest predictions
There is little drama to be found in the title race or the relegation battle in the Premier League, but the fight for Champions League football is as fierce as it has been for some time.
We can assume that Liverpool and Arsenal are over the line in their bid to qualify for Europe’s leading competition, but there are still three more spots to be filled.
Nottingham Forest are in pole position to take one of them, even though some observers still anticipate a late collapse.
Many have Manchester City down as the favourites to join Liverpool and Arsenal in the Champions League, but there are a host of clubs below them still in the mix.
They include Newcastle United, Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham, Bournemouth and, of course, Aston Villa, who host Forest this weekend.
Villa triumphed in a six-pointer in the midweek round of fixtures, beating Brighton 3-0 to boost their top-five chances.
In truth it was an even game at the Amex Stadium, but Villa were more clinical in the final third and that ultimately made the difference.
Forest were also victorious last time out, edging out Manchester United 1-0 thanks to a fine goal from Anthony Elanga. It was a win straight out of the Nuno playbook: sit deep, counter-attack and take your chances.
Forest are eight points clear of sixth spot at the time of writing and it increasingly looks like they will soon be back on the biggest continental stage of all for the first time since 1980/81, when they were the defending champions.
It would be a remarkable feat for Forest to rub shoulders with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich next season given they were involved in the relegation dogfight in both 2022/23 and 2023/24.
Like Forest, Villa have been crowned kings of the continent before – and they may yet reclaim that status this season.
A trip to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final awaits on Wednesday. Unai Emery will do everything he can to ensure Villa focus on the task at hand on Saturday, but that is easier said than done.
For a long time, fans of Villa and Forest had to make do with past glories. Now these two historic clubs are on the rise again.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest betting tips
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest are both chasing European football ahead of this weekend’s clash.
Nottingham Forest to score first
It is ideal for counter-attacking teams to score the first goal. That forces opponents to come onto them, thereby opening up more space to break into.
Nottingham Forest have mastered the art this season. They have opened the scoring a remarkable 23 times out of 30. No team in the division has as good a record, with Liverpool in second on 20.
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Aston Villa have been slower out of the blocks for the most part. They sit 13th in the first-half table, while their opponents have gone 1-0 up more often than they have.
Villa’s home advantage could be a factor in determining the outcome of this encounter, but in this market at least Forest look overpriced.
No one should be surprised if Nuno’s charges draw first blood at Villa Park.
Go for Nottingham Forest to score first at 13/10 with CopyBet
Aston Villa to score last
If Nottingham Forest do indeed strike first against Aston Villa, the pattern of the game will be set.
The hosts will dominate possession and spend much of the game camped in Forest’s half, while Nuno’s side will aim to repel their opponents with astute penalty-box defending.
One weapon in Villa’s favour is their attacking depth. They may have lost supersub Jhon Duran in the winter window, but the club added Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen to Emery’s squad.
Throw in the likes of Ollie Watkins, Jacob Ramsey, Leon Bailey and Morgan Rogers, and Villa have more options at the top of the pitch than most other Premier League sides.
That, plus the backing of the Villa Park crowd, could help them score the last goal on Saturday.
Back Aston Villa to score last at 13/20 with NetBet
Marcus Rashford to score any time
Rashford was on target in the 3-0 victory over Brighton on Wednesday.
After being deployed through the middle at the Amex, he is likely to return to the left for the visit of Nottingham Forest.
That is his favoured position and, given Forest will be without their right-back Ola Aina this weekend, Rashford should have a big impact on this match.
Rashford’s talent has never been in doubt, but his work ethic was rightly called into question at Manchester United.
The forward looks to have rediscovered his hunger for the game at Villa Park, and that could be bad news for Forest.
Choose Marcus Rashford to score any time at 7/4 with Tote
How to watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest
- Location: Villa Park, Birmingham, England.
- Date and time: Saturday 5th April, 5.30pm.
- How to watch: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
Read more about the 2024/25 football season
- Premier League winner predictions
- Premier League top scorer odds
- Premier League relegation odds
- Champions League winner odds
- Championship promotion odds
About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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