Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are competing for different goals in the Premier League this season. Nottingham Forest currently sits in 16th place with 32 points, struggling to find form as they have gone winless in six straight home league matches. In contrast, Aston Villa is enjoying a strong campaign, positioned 4th with 54 points and riding high on a three-match winning streak across all competitions.
The upcoming match, scheduled for April 12, 2026, at the City Ground in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, is critical for both teams. Nottingham Forest recently drew 1-1 against Porto in the Europa League, while Aston Villa secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Bologna in the same tournament. The kick-off time for this match is set for 9am ET and will be streamed live on Peacock.
In terms of lineups, Nottingham Forest will feature players such as Sels, Aina, Murillo, Milenkovic, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, and Igor Jesus. However, they will be missing key players Willy Boly, Nicola Savona, and John Victor due to knee injuries.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, will field a strong lineup that includes Martinez, Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Digne, Onana, Tielemans, McGinn, Barkley, Rogers, and Watkins. The team will be without Boubacar Kamara, who is also sidelined with a knee injury.
As both teams prepare for this encounter, predictions are mixed. Some analysts foresee a close match, with one predicting a Nottingham Forest 1, Aston Villa 2 outcome, while others suggest a more optimistic view for the hosts, with a prediction of Nottingham Forest 2-1 Aston Villa.
Observers note that Nottingham Forest must find a way to break their home curse if they hope to secure vital points against a formidable Aston Villa side. The stakes are high, and the outcome could significantly impact both teams’ aspirations for the remainder of the season.
As the match approaches, fans and analysts alike are eager to see if Nottingham Forest can turn their fortunes around at home or if Aston Villa will continue their pursuit of European qualification with another strong performance.