Aston Villa hosted Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Saturday, January 3, 2026, in a Premier League match where they aimed to bounce back from a recent setback. The Villans, currently third in the league standings with 39 points, were looking to capitalize on their strong home form, while Nottingham Forest, positioned 17th with 18 points, were fighting to move away from the relegation zone.
Aston Villa entered the match following a 4-1 defeat against Arsenal, which brought an end to their impressive 11-game winning streak across all competitions. Despite the loss, manager Unai Emery expressed satisfaction with his team's performance and emphasized their determination to maintain their position near the top of the league. Nottingham Forest, managed by Sean Dyche, were seeking to end a slump of four defeats in their last five league games, including a recent 2-0 loss to Everton.
In terms of team news, Aston Villa welcomed back key players Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara, who were suspended for the Arsenal game. John McGinn was also included in the starting lineup. However, Amadou Onana was ruled out due to an injury sustained in the previous match, joining Pau Torres, Tyrone Mings, and Ross Barkley on the sidelines. The starting eleven for Aston Villa was: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Lindelöf, Maatsen, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Buendía, and Watkins.
Nottingham Forest saw the return of Ola Aina, who had been sidelined with a hamstring injury since September. Dyche highlighted Aina's positive character and looked forward to reintegrating him into the team. Nottingham Forest's starting lineup included: John Victor, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Anderson, Domínguez, Bakwa, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson, and Igor Jesus.
Historically, Aston Villa has a favorable record against Nottingham Forest at Villa Park, remaining unbeaten in their last nine home encounters. In their head-to-head history, Aston Villa has won 8 games, while Nottingham Forest has won 4, with 8 draws. The last five H2H matches have been won by the home side.
The match was broadcasted on various platforms, including USA Network in the United States, Sky Sports in the UK, and DAZN in Canada.
