In quest of back-to-back Premier League wins, Aston Villa welcome West Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Villans bounced back to winning ways last weekend with a 2-1 away victory over Fulham, consolidating their fourth spot in the Premier League standings. The Midlands outfit’s inconsistent form of late has led the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to close the gap on them.
They are on a four-game winless run at home across all competitions since the start of the year, something Unai Emery and Co. will want to end against Nottingham Forest, who beat 10-man West Ham United 2-0 at home last time out.
Aston Villa Team News
Aston Villa have recently lost centre-backs Ezri Konsa and Diego Carlos to respective knee and thigh injuries, while Boubacar Kamara’s season is over after rupturing his ACL in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United earlier this month. Jhon Duran is not expected back for the next few weeks owing to a hamstring problem.
Predicted Aston Villa lineup vs Nottingham Forest (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper
Aston Villa will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Emiliano Martinez in goal. The Argentinean World Cup winner should be desperate to shut the shop as fast as possible against Nottingham Forest.
Defence
Matty Cash and Alex Moreno will start as the full-backs again. The duo will look to help out defensively and join the attack from time to time. Pau Torres will start alongside Clement Lenglet at the heart of Aston Villa’s defence.
The back four have to stay focused from the first blow of the whistle until the last if they intend to keep the Forest attackers at bay.
Midfield
John McGinn operated in a deeper role alongside Douglas Luiz in the 2-1 win over Fulham, and the duo are set to start again in central midfield on Saturday. They will look to protect the backline and disrupt the opposition’s play in the final third.
Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey will add creativity, flair and energy from wide areas, tucking into central midfield when Villa need more control in possession. The four-midfield system should allow the hosts to dominate the ball against Forest and create opportunities in the final third.
Attack
Youri Tielemans should operate as a withdrawn forward, looking to get into pockets of spaces behind Forest’s midfield and providing service for main striker Ollie Watkins in the box. The duo will be hoping to combine well in the last third and create chaos among the Forest defenders.
If Villa requires a spark in attack during the second half, Unai Emery could turn towards the likes of Moussa Diaby, Morgan Rogers and Nicolo Zaniolo.
