Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest: Match Preview and Team Updates

Aston Villa hosts Nottingham Forest at Villa Park for their first match of 2026 on Saturday afternoon.

The team is eager to bounce back after losing their impressive 11-match winning streak, which was ended by Arsenal in a 4-1 defeat on Tuesday. Despite this setback, they remain in third place in the Premier League and are strong contenders for the Champions League.

Nottingham Forest enters this match following a tough end to 2025, suffering three straight losses, including a recent home defeat against Everton. They are currently four points above the relegation zone but need to improve their attacking performance, having failed to score in a league-high 10 games this season, totaling just 18 goals.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest – Match Preview and Team News

• Date: Saturday, 3 January 2026
• Kick-off: 12:30 GMT
• Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
• Referee: Simon Hooper
• VAR: Paul Howard
• Last Meeting: Aston Villa 2-1 Nottingham Forest, 5 April 2025

Team News

Aston Villa

Aston Villa welcomes back Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara after serving suspensions. Unfortunately, Amadou Onana is out due to a hamstring injury suffered against Arsenal. Evann Guessand is unavailable due to Africa Cup of Nations duties, and January signing Alysson cannot play either. Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings are close to returning but will miss this match, along with Ross Barkley and Harvey Elliott. Victor Lindelöf is expected to continue in central defense.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest hopes that Dan Ndoye can play despite a minor fitness issue. However, the injury list is extensive for Sean Dyche, with Chris Wood, Ola Aina, and Ryan Yates out due to knee and thigh injuries. The team also loses Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangaré to AFCON commitments. Nicolò Savona is vying for a spot in defense after their loss to Everton.

Form

Aston Villa

Villa Park has become a stronghold for Aston Villa, boasting 10 straight home wins in all competitions. Another win on Saturday would set their best home run since 1990. Ollie Watkins has been in form with three goals in his last two matches, though he is still searching for his first home league goal since September.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest has struggled lately, losing their last three league matches. They have historically not performed well at Villa Park, not winning there in over 30 years. However, they have won five of their last seven opening matches of a new year. Morgan Gibbs-White is their key player, leading the team with three goals this season.

Predicted Lineups

Aston Villa predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Lindelof, Maatsen; Kamara, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Malen; Watkins

Nottingham Forest predicted XI: Victor; Savona, Murillo, Milenkovic, Williams; Anderson, Dominguez; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus

How to watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest?

The match will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, starting at 11:30 GMT before the 12:30 kick-off.