Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa Predictions

• Nottingham Forest have drawn four of their last five Premier League home games
• The Tricky Trees shared the spoils away to Porto in the Europa League on Thursday
• Aston Villa have won just one of their last six top-flight away matches

Home wins hard to come by for Forest

Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa both claimed positive results in the first legs of their Europa League quarter-final ties on Thursday night, but neither team can afford to rest on their laurels during Sunday’s Premier League clash at the City Ground.

Forest ended a seven-match winless run in the league with victory at fellow strugglers Tottenham before the international break, but they remain entrenched in the relegation battle, finding home wins particularly hard to come by.

The Tricky Trees have failed to win any of their last seven league games at the City Ground, but they have drawn four of their previous five top-flight fixtures on their own patch, and are also fresh from sharing the spoils at Porto in the first leg of their Europa League tie.

Villa must improve domestic away record

Villa enjoyed an even better European result during the week, triumphing 3-1 at Bologna, although they did give up plenty of opportunities to their Italian hosts and their away record domestically does not make for good reading.

Unai Emery’s side have won just one of their last six top-flight away games, a record they will need to improve upon if they are to maintain their place in the top five of the standings, with it having been confirmed earlier this week that will be enough to secure Champions League football for next season.

With both sides in need of the points, there will be plenty at stake on Sunday, but a draw would not be the worst result for either and this could easily end all-square.

Watkins looking to prove a point

Sunday’s meeting is unlikely to be a goalfest, but one player that will fancy his chances of getting on the scoresheet is Villa forward Ollie Watkins, who notched a brace against Bologna.

Watkins was also on the scoresheet in Villa’s win over West Ham in their last Premier League game, and he appears to be a player with a point to prove after being left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for last month’s international break.

Desperate to force his way back into Tuchel’s thoughts for the World Cup this summer, Watkins will be looking to add another goal against Forest, having also netted in the Villans’ 3-1 victory when the two sides locked horns at Villa Park in January.