Tournament: Premier League
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
Date: 03.01.2026
Time: 12:30 GMT

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Form and Head to Head

Aston Villa suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat away to Arsenal in their last match. Before that, the Villains were in excellent form, having scored at least two goals in their last six home matches against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.

Nottingham Forest lost 2-0 at home to Everton in their most recent game, extending their losing run to three matches in the Premier League. The Tricky Trees are struggling for form, and their away form is a cause for concern.

The last time these two teams met, Aston Villa won 2-1 at Villa Park in the Premier League back in April 2025. Over the last six meetings, Aston Villa have won three matches, Nottingham Forest have won two, and one match ended in a draw. Aston Villa have won their last three home matches against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.

Who is the betting favourite in Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest?

According to latest odds, Aston Villa are favourites at around 56% implied win probability to beat Nottingham Forest, while Forest sit at 21%.

Match Result Best Odds Bookmaker
Aston Villa 17/20 Betfred
Nottingham Forest 15/4 AK Bets
Draw 29/10 Unibet

Odds last updated at 4:30PM Friday, 2nd January.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Team News

Aston Villa will be without Mings, Barkley, and Torres due to injury. Guessand is also unavailable due to international duty. Kamara and Cash are available again after serving bans for the Arsenal game. McGinn is expected to start after only playing the second half in the previous match. Watkins will lead the line, having scored three goals in his last two games.

Nottingham Forest will be missing Aina and Wood through injury. Sangaré and Boly are away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. Douglas Luiz could start after playing the second half against Everton, potentially replacing Dominguez.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Predicted Lineups

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martínez; Maatsen, Lindelöf, Konsa, Cash; Tielemans, Kamara; Rogers, Buendía, McGinn; Watkins

Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Victor; Williams, Murillo, Milenkovic, Zinchenko; Anderson, Luiz; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson; Jesus

Lineups powered by WhoScored.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Match Prediction

Despite their recent defeat to Arsenal, Aston Villa are strong at home and have a good record against Nottingham Forest. The Villains' attacking strengths, including creating long shot opportunities and chances through individual skill, should cause problems for Forest's defense, which has struggled to defend against long shots and set pieces. Additionally, Aston Villa are known for coming back from losing positions, while the Tricky Trees struggle to finish scoring chances. I am predicting a 3-1 win for the home side.

Prediction: Aston Villa 3-1 Nottingham Forest

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Player Stat Trend

Our EV Eagle has picked out five trending player stats for Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest.

Find 100s more player stat trends in our Trends Tool, available to Oddschecker+ Premium subscribers.

Neco Williams has exceeded 0.5 Shots in 5 of his last 5 games.
Best odds of 5/6 at SpreadEx while publishing.

Omari Hutchinson has failed to exceed 1.5 Shots in 7 of his last 10 games, including 4 of his last 5.
Best odds of evens at bet365 while publishing.

Morgan Rogers has exceeded 1.5 Fouls in 6 of his last 10 games.
Best odds of 59/50 at BetMGM while publishing.

Ollie Watkins has exceeded 0.5 Fouls in 6 of his last 10 games.
Best odds of 3/4 at Ladbrokes while publishing.

Morgan Gibbs-White has attempted 2+ shots in 7 of his last 10 apps (Premier League).
Best odds of 19/20 at BetMGM while publishing.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Bet Builder Tip

Our Bet Builder Tip for this game is Aston Villa win, Ollie Watkins over 3.5 shots, Morgan Rogers over 1.5 shots, and John McGinn over 0.5 fouls won.

Best odds of 8/1 available at bet365 while publishing.

Aston Villa win

Aston Villa enter this matchup as strong favourites against a struggling Nottingham Forest side sitting 17th in the table, backed by a formidable home record of 10 straight Premier League wins at Villa Park. Their third-place position with 39 points contrasts sharply with Forest's 18 points and recent three-game losing streak, making the home win a solid anchor for any bet builder. Market-implied probabilities hover around 57% for Villa, reflecting superior form and head-to-head dominance.

Ollie Watkins over 3.5 shots

Ollie Watkins has attempted 3+ shots in 4 of his last 6 Premier League appearances, with his most recent five-game shot counts reading 5, 4, 1, 0, 4, 4. Averaging 2.0 shots on goal this season, his boosted confidence from recent goalscoring exploits positions him to pepper Forest's defence with high-volume attempts. Expect Watkins to exploit Villa's attacking dominance at home, pushing well beyond the 3.5-shot line in a game ripe for one-sided pressure.

Morgan Rogers over 1.5 shots

Morgan Rogers mirrors Watkins' shot volume at 1.8 attempts per game this season, highlighted by his last five outings yielding 2, 2, 7, 5, 1 shots. Nottingham Forest's defensive setup under Sean Dyche packs bodies to block efforts, rendering total shots a more reliable prop than shots on target in this fixture. Rogers thrives in Villa's fluid attack, likely registering 2+ attempts amid sustained home pressure.

John McGinn over 0.5 fouls won

John McGinn has won fouls in each of his last five games at 1, 3, 1, 4, 1, showcasing his combative midfield presence. Facing a physical Nottingham Forest outfit known for tough tackling, McGinn draws infractions through persistent pressing and ball-winning duels. This low threshold aligns perfectly with expectations of a gritty encounter where midfield battles yield free-kicks.