Aston Villa welcome Nottingham Forest to Villa Park on January 3, 2026, in a matchup that pairs a genuine top-four contender with a side battling to keep clear of the drop zone. Villa enter the weekend third in the table, while Forest sit 17th, and the underlying profile of both teams points to Villa holding the stronger hand—especially at home.
Recent Form
Villa’s momentum remains strong overall, even if their winning run was recently checked by a heavy defeat away to Arsenal. The broader trend is still positive: they have been stacking wins consistently over the past month and will be motivated to respond immediately in front of their own fans. Forest, by contrast, have endured a difficult end to December, including a run of defeats that has kept them hovering just above the relegation line.
Attacking Output
Villa’s season-long goal production has been solid, averaging roughly 1.6 goals per match based on official Premier League team totals. Forest’s overall tally is notably lower, and recent narratives around their attack have been shaped as much by availability issues as by confidence in the final third.
Home/Away Performance
Villa Park has been a major advantage for Emery’s side, with a strong league home record that underpins their top-three position. Forest’s away form has been less reliable, and their route to points on the road has typically required near-perfect execution in both boxes—something they have struggled to sustain recently.
Head-to-Head
Recent meetings at Villa Park have tended to favor the hosts. Villa won this fixture 2–1 last season, and Forest’s league record at Villa Park over a long stretch remains a concern, which reinforces the “home edge” angle for this preview.
Injuries and Player Availability
Villa are without Ross Barkley, while there are question marks over Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres, and one or two additional fitness calls may go late. The good news is that key pieces such as Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara are expected back after serving bans, which helps stabilize both structure and ball-winning. Forest’s absences look more disruptive: Ola Aina and Ryan Yates remain out, Chris Wood is sidelined, and there are additional availability constraints tied to squad depth and tournament call-ups, although there is some optimism over Dan Ndoye’s chances of returning.
Taken together, Villa’s stronger baseline level, plus the Villa Park factor and Forest’s availability issues, make the home side the likelier winner—though Forest can still threaten if they keep the game tight into the second half.
Predicted Outcome
Aston Villa to win 2–1.
