Unai Emery believes his Aston Villa facet are in a robust place of their course of as a group after placing one foot into the Champions League knockout phases with their win over RB Leipzig.
Villa have gained every of their final three video games in all competitions, after profitable simply three of their earlier 13 matches (D5 L5), transferring them as much as third within the new 36-team standings.
The Villans know a victory towards both Monaco or Celtic of their ultimate two video games within the Champions League will see them end within the automated positions within the desk.
And whereas the win happy Emery, his fast focus was on Villa’s upcoming journey to the Metropolis Floor this Saturday to tackle Nottingham Forest within the Premier League.
“Generally a spell of unhealthy outcomes is coming. Generally good outcomes now, with the three victories, two within the league and one immediately, might help us to really feel assured and robust in our course of,” Emery stated.
“Right this moment we’re joyful, however now I’m desirous about Saturday towards Nottingham Forest and making an attempt to recuperate rapidly the gamers that performed immediately and to get the others prepared.”
Tuesday’s match-winner Ross Barkley echoed his supervisor’s ideas, saying: “Vital, we wanted that win. It pushes us increased up the desk, and we’ve achieved rather well within the Champions League.
“One sport at a time, we’ve received to attempt to win the video games. That’s our focus, that’s our goal, to get by means of, and now our eyes are on the sport on the weekend.”
GD MORNING pic.twitter.com/HgvrmyJQJu
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 11, 2024
However Forest are coming down from a excessive of their very own after incomes back-to-back victories towards Manchester United for the primary time since 1992 with their 3-2 win at Outdated Trafford.
After selecting up only one triumph in 4 league video games heading into Saturday’s sport, Forest received themselves again on monitor and moved as much as fifth within the Premier League desk.
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo understood the magnitude of the victory and urged supporters to take pleasure in it, insisting their newest win is just the beginning of the place he desires to take the membership.
“It means quite a bit for us as a membership. Forest is a big membership that hasn’t had particular moments like this for a very long time. We should always have a good time and be happy with this,” Nuno stated.
“Me, I take into consideration Villa. Let the followers have a good time, now we are going to begin to put together for the following one.
“However I’m very happy with being a part of this group of gamers and the squad. We try to do one thing collectively and construct one thing good.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nottingham Forest – Chris Wooden
Wooden is considered one of solely 4 gamers to attain 10+ Premier League targets this season, with solely Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland (each 13) and Cole Palmer (11) scoring greater than the New Zealander.
He’s additionally the primary Forest participant to attain 10 Premier League targets in a marketing campaign earlier than Christmas, whereas he’s the primary Forest participant to take action in a league time period since Lewis Grabban within the Championship again in 2021-22.
Aston Villa – Jhon Duran
Duran, who turns 21 the day earlier than Villa’s journey to the Metropolis Floor, has scored 10 Premier League targets for the Villans, netting the winner in 4 of their seven wins this season.
He’s considered one of three gamers to attain 10 targets for Villa earlier than turning 21, together with Gabriel Agbonlahor (13) and Luke Moore (11).
6 – Jhon Duran has scored six targets after approaching as an alternative in all competitions for Aston Villa this season – probably the most by any participant for golf equipment in Europe’s big-five leagues in 2024-25. Tremendous. pic.twitter.com/hPseCcju8A
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 10, 2024
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
This can be Forest’s 5,000th match within the high 4 tiers of English soccer, the twelfth facet to achieve that milestone in English Soccer League historical past.
Nonetheless, Saturday’s hosts have gained simply considered one of their final 11 Premier League video games towards Villa (D5 L5), although it was a 2-0 victory on this actual fixture final season.
However they’ve turned the Metropolis Floor right into a fortress. Forest have gained three of their final 4 dwelling video games within the Premier League (L1), as many as their earlier 17 beforehand (W3 D4 L10).
Villa, in the meantime, are winless of their final 5 top-flight away video games towards Forest, although 4 of those have ended stage. Their final such victory was in January 1995 below Brian Little (2-1).
The Villans have misplaced every of their final three away league video games, their longest such run since shedding 4 in a row from Might to August 2022. All three defeats of their present spell have been by 2+ targets – they final misplaced extra in succession by such a margin on the highway within the league in September 1968 as a second-tier facet (5).
Villa additionally gained seven of their first 12 Premier League video games below Emery towards groups beginning the day within the high 5 of the desk (D1 L4) however have since misplaced 5 of their final seven (W1 D1), together with all three this season, by an mixture rating of 7-0.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Nottingham Forest – 36.2%
Draw – 26.2%
Aston Villa – 37.6%