Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest: Predictions, Picks, Odds & Lineups

Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Saturday, September 12 (10:00 AM ET / 9:00 AM CT / 7:00 AM PT).

Villa will again be without the injured Amadou Onana (knee), the suspended Joao Gomes da Silva and the sidelined Brian Madjo (ankle/foot), with the doubtful Leon Goretzka and Johan Manzambi both touch-and-go. Ross Barkley and Emiliano Buendía have carried the bulk of the creative and shooting work in Villa’s front line so far, with John McGinn also involved. Forest’s only defined absence is the injured Nicolo Savona (knee), leaving Morgan Gibbs-White, Dan Ndoye and James McAtee to lead the visitors’ attack.

Both sides arrive still searching for a league win this season. Neither has offered much going forward: Villa’s -5 goal difference is the joint-worst in this fixture, while Forest’s is -1 despite a similarly winless record. Expect a scrappy, low-event contest at Villa Park where clean sheets matter more than end-to-end football, with home advantage the difference in a game unlikely to produce goals at both ends.

US viewers can watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest on NBC and Peacock.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest: Best Bets & Predictions

Aston Villa (1pt) host Nottingham Forest (2pts) at Villa Park, with both sides still without a win this season.

Where are you following from? Odds & offers below update to match.

🇺🇸 United StatesTrade on Kalshi 🌎 Outside the USOdds via bet365

Aston Villa to winTop pickVilla's -5 goal difference is worse than Forest's -1, but home advantage at Villa Park and Ross Barkley's 6 created chances give the hosts the edge in a tight game.

53%win prob.-111 @ bet365

1-0 to Aston VillaA repeat of Villa's 0-0 draw at Hull and Forest's 0-0 draw with Tottenham points to another low-scoring afternoon, with the hosts' home advantage enough to nick it 1-0.

12%chance750 @ bet365

Both Teams to Score – NoForest have kept clean in 2 of their last 3 outings (0-0 vs Tottenham, 0-1 at home to Leeds), and with Villa carrying a -5 goal difference from just 3 games, a shutout looks more likely than goals at both ends.

50%chance100 @ bet365

Under 2.5 GoalsNeither Villa (0 wins from 3) nor Forest (0 wins from 3) has scored freely this season, with Villa sitting on a -5 goal difference and Forest at -1, a pattern that favors under 2.5 goals.

53%chance-111 @ bet365

Ross Barkley to score anytimeBarkley leads Villa's attacking numbers with 6 shots and 6 chances created in 242 minutes this season, the most involved outlet in a side still searching for a win.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐chanceopening soon @ bet365

Our approach: we weight actual shots, chances created, and points on the board over reputation, and the model reads this as a tight, low-scoring game with Villa's home platform edging it 1-0.

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Season Form & Standings

Aston Villa have taken 1 point from 3 games (0 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses) and sit on a -5 goal difference, while Nottingham Forest have 2 points from 3 (0 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss) and a -1 goal difference — both clubs still searching for a win this season.

Premier League

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Potential Match-Winners

• Ross Barkley (Aston Villa): Barkley has racked up 6 shots and created 6 chances in 242 minutes this season, Villa’s most involved creator in the final third.
• Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest): Gibbs-White’s 1 goal and 1 assist have come from 7 shots (2 on target) in 270 minutes, making him Forest’s most productive attacker this season.
• Dan Ndoye (Nottingham Forest): Ndoye’s 1 goal has come from just 3 shots in 187 minutes, a sharp return in limited time.

Recent Form

Aston Villa: D W L L D

• 2026-09-05: Hull City 0-0 Aston Villa (D, away)
• 2026-08-31: Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal (L, home)
• 2026-08-23: Brighton 4-0 Aston Villa (L, away)
• 2026-05-15: Aston Villa 4-2 Liverpool (W, home)
• 2026-05-10: Burnley 2-2 Aston Villa (D, away)

Villa’s record this season shows 1 draw and 2 losses, most recently a 0-0 draw away at Hull City after back-to-back defeats: 0-1 at home to Arsenal and 4-0 away at Brighton.

Nottingham Forest: D L L D D

• 2026-09-05: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Tottenham (D, home)
• 2026-08-29: Liverpool 2-2 Nottingham Forest (D, away)
• 2026-08-22: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Leeds (L, home)
• 2026-05-17: Manchester United 3-2 Nottingham Forest (L, away)
• 2026-05-10: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Newcastle (D, home)

Forest’s record this season shows 2 draws and 1 loss, including a 0-0 at home to Tottenham most recently, a 2-2 at Liverpool, and a 1-0 loss at home to Leeds.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Prediction

Signal’s model lands on a tight 1-0 win for Aston Villa. Villa’s 1 point from 3 games is only marginally better than Forest’s 2 from the same number, but home advantage at Villa Park and Ross Barkley’s 6 shots and 6 chances created give the hosts enough of an edge to win 1-0 in a low-event game that finishes under 2.5 total goals.