Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest: Key stats and talking points
Four days after kick-starting their season by beating Club Brugge in the Champions League, Aston Villa host a Nottingham Forest side similarly in a period of adaptation and without a top-flight win this season. Villa's slow start to the current campaign has prompted comparisons with the previous one, when they didn't score until their fifth league game but then ground out a hard-earned European victory against limited opponents. The difference this season is that, aside from the abysmal opening defeat by Brighton, Villa are at least showing an identity they lacked during the early malaise of 2025-26.
