Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa Prediction - Premier League: A Challenge at City Ground

Thanh Vinh•April 12, 2026 09:08

Aston Villa aim to defend their fourth-place position in the Premier League table when they visit Nottingham Forest, a team desperate for points to avoid relegation, at 8:00 PM on April 12th.

The match between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa in the 32nd round of the Premier League took place against the backdrop of both teams being at opposite extremes in the standings. While Aston Villa were striving to stay in the Champions League qualification spots, Nottingham Forest were struggling in a tough relegation battle at City Ground.

8:00 PM, April 12th - A battle for different goals.

Currently, Aston Villa are in 4th place with 54 points after 31 matches. Unai Emery's side have won 16 games since the start of the season, including 6 away wins. In contrast, Nottingham Forest are in 16th place with 32 points, just a narrow margin above the relegation zone. The home team have only won 8 games this season, with 3 of those victories coming at City Ground.

Team	Location	Point	Form in the last 5 matches
Aston Villa	4	54	Win 1, Loss 3, Draw 1
Nottingham Forest	16	32	Win 1, Draw 2, Loss 2

Analyzing form and goal difference

Aston Villa boasts a fairly consistent attack with 42 goals (an average of 1.4 goals per game). However, their recent form has shown signs of slowing down, with only one win in their last five matches. Villa's defensive capabilities are also questionable, having conceded 37 goals in 31 league games.

On the other side of the pitch, Nottingham Forest showed a lack of scoring prowess with an average of only 1.0 goal per game. The home team's defense was also far from solid, having conceded 43 goals. Nevertheless, their fighting spirit at City Ground is often the foundation upon which Forest hopes for a favorable result against big opponents.

History of confrontations and current team situation.

The head-to-head history in the last 5 matches favors Aston Villa with 3 wins, while Nottingham Forest has won 2 times. In the first leg in January 2026, Aston Villa secured a convincing 3-1 victory at home.

On Nottingham Forest's side:

W. Boly, John Victor, and N. Savona are definitely absent due to knee injuries.
Cunha's availability for the match is still uncertain due to a leg injury.

On Aston Villa's side:

B. Kamara is absent due to a knee injury.
C. Brannigan and J. Sancho (shoulder injuries) are recovering and their availability is uncertain.

Tactical analysis and predictions

With their superior squad quality, Aston Villa are expected to control the game. However, the absence of key players like Kamara could affect the visitors' ability to intercept attacks from afar. Nottingham Forest will likely opt for a counter-attacking style of play, utilizing the speed of their wingers to exploit the space behind Villa's high defensive line.

Experts rate Aston Villa's chances of winning at 45%, while the odds of a draw are also at a similar 45%. Nottingham Forest only have a 10% chance of securing all three points at City Ground. A tight match with fewer than 2.5 goals is predicted.

Predicted result:Aston Villa win or draw.

Team lineup updated at 19:30 on 12/04/2026

Official lineup