Aston Villa - Nottingham Forest predictions and free betting tips [24/02/2024]

On Saturday, 24 February, as part of the 26th round of the Premier League, Aston Villa will host Nottingham Forest on their home pitch. The pupils of Unai Emery triumphed over Fulham with a 2:1 score last week, while The Forest secured a victory over West Ham (2:0), pulling away from the relegation zone by 4 points.

Predicted Line-ups

Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Torres, Lenglet, Moreno; Bailey, Luiz, McGinn, Ramsey; Tielemans; Watkins.
Nottingham Forest: Sels; Williams, Felipe, Murillo, Tavares; Danilo, Dominguez; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Origi.  

The Stadium

The clash will take place at the Villa Park in Birmingham.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa impresses this season and currently occupies the 4th place in the Premier League table, lagging only 2 points behind the fifth spot. Thus, the Birmingham side aims for a spot in the Champions League – yet they need to amend the recent weeks' results. The Lions managed to win only thrice in their last 8 league fixtures with two draws.

After yielding to Manchester United at home 1:2, Emery's men managed to defeat Fulham 2:1 last weekend: Ollie Watkins' precise strikes allowed the Yellow-Blues to maintain the lead by the hour mark, with Rodrigo Muniz momentarily raising intrigue towards the end. Since Dean Smith's tenure in 2020, Aston Villa has not lost three consecutive Premier League home matches, with their phenomenal home goal streak now stretching to 33 matches!

Nottingham Forest

Currently, Nottingham Forest stands at the 16th place in the Premier League, just four points clear of the relegation zone. Last weekend, The Forest thrilled their fans by beating West Ham 2:0 at home: Calvin Phillips received a red card in the 71st minute, allowing The Forest to score thanks to Tyrell Avonyi and Callum Hudson-Odoi. Thus, they put an end to a 4-game winless streak (1 draw and 3 losses).

The team scores only two away victories in the current EPL campaign, but they can boast about their effectiveness, scoring consistently in eight consecutive league matches. Next Wednesday in the FA Cup, Nottingham Forest hosts Manchester United in the Round of 16, but Nuno Espirito is unlikely to opt for squad rotation.

Head-to-Head

Granada will try to secure their first La Liga win over Valencia since December 2020, as the Red-Whites have lost three out of their last four h2h encounters, including a 1:0 setback in the first round in November.

Prediction for the Match Aston Villa – Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest, despite defeating West Ham in the previous round, has an abysmal away record: a mere 9 points in 12 matches. Aston Villa, pursuing a spot in the Champions League zone and boasting a more robust squad – not to mention the home crowd support – should come out on top. My prediction is a victory for the favourites.

Total Prediction

With 31 goals in 12 home games, Villa has a superior figure only to current league-leaders Liverpool. Given The Forest's defensive woes, it seems reasonable to bet on the hosts' individual total of over 1.5 goals.

Corner Prediction

Aston Villa will likely control the proceedings, while Forest will spend the majority of the time defending deep. I would place a bet on the hosts' corner victory with a -1.5 handicap.

Yellow Card Prediction

Villa earns on average 2.7 yellow cards per match, while the visitors stand at 2.2. It is reasonable to bet that the hosts will, at the very least, not concede in this component.

Score Prediction

My bet is on the exact score of 2:0 in favour of Aston Villa.