Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest: Visitors looking to double up on Villa in the race for survival

Forest put two past Villa at the City Ground in November as Ola Aina and Orel Mangala netted for the win.

Victory tomorrow would be Forest’s first league double over Villa since 1984-85, and would be only their third away win so far this season. The Reds have beaten Chelsea last September and Newcastle United thanks to a Chris Wood hattrick.

Forest have scored in all eight of their Premier League matches under former-Wolves boss Nuno Espírito Santo since he took the reins in December. They’ve netted 15 goals in total throughout those games which is two less goals than they scored in 17 games under Steve Cooper this season.

Nuno led Wolves to the top-flight in 2018 before taking the Wanderers to their highest ever Premier League finish of 7th-place in the following season. Competing in the Europa League, Nuno and Wolves reached the quarter-finals before the manager left by mutual consent at the end of the 2020/21 season.

Forest sit 16th in the standings and four points clear of Luton Town in the final relegation spot, and Nuno’s side have won just once in the last five games claiming victory against West Ham last Saturday.

Taiwo Awoniyi opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time before being forced off midway through the second-half, and Callum Hudson-Odoi is in a rich vein of form as the forward scored in this third consecutive game during the triumph.

Forest were beaten 2-0 when they visited Villa Park last season and remain without top-scorer Wood due to a thigh injury, likewise to Gonzalo Montiel.