Nottingham Forest (6-13-6) travel to face off against Aston Villa (15-6-4) on Saturday, February 24th. This match will be played at Villa Park in Birmingham. Both club’s come into this one having won their previous match. The match starts at 10:00 AM ET.
Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa
Nottingham Forest Is Coming Off A Win
In their last match, Nottingham Forest hosted West Ham United and picked up a 2-0 win. Heading into the match, they were +125 on the money line, and the two combined goals fell short of the over/under goal line of 2.5 goals.
Nottingham’s offensive attack took a total of 19 shots, with eight being on target. Four of their eight corner kicks came in the second half. Taiwo Awoniyi and Callum Hudson-Odoi were the two players to score, with Awoniyi having a team-high four total shots.
Matz Sels finished with three saves and didn’t allow a goal in the clean sheet. Overall, West Ham took 10 shots, and three of their attack’s five shots on target came from Awoniyi, Hudson-Odoi, and Anthony Elanga.
In the EPL standings, Nottingham Forest sits in 16th place with a record of 6-13-6, just one point behind Crystal Palace. On the road, they have struggled, going just 2-7-3. Over their last four matches, they have just one win, with that victory coming at home against West Ham United. After this match against Aston Villa, they will return home to take on Liverpool on March 2nd.
Aston Villa Is Coming Off A Win
Aston Villa traveled to take on Fulham FC in their last match, coming away with a 2-1 win. The money line payout for Aston Villa was +130, and the three total goals just exceeded the over/under goal line of 2.5 goals.
Leading Aston Villa’s offensive attack was Ollie Watkins, scoring both of the club’s goals. Watkins took a total of five shots and scored on both of his shots on goal. Youri Tielemans finished with the only assist for Aston Villa’s offensive unit, which had four corner kicks.
On the defensive end, Aston Villa intercepted four passes and blocked three shots. Despite making just three saves, goalie Emiliano Martinez allowed just one goal and picked up the win. Fulham FC took a total of 15 shots and four shots on goal.
Through 25 matches, Aston Villa has a record of 15-6-4, which has them in 4th place in the EPL. At home, they have been dominant, going 9-2-1. Overall, they have been favored in 18 matches, going 12-3-3 in those contests. Over their last four matches, they have gone 2-2, with their most recent win coming against Fulham FC on February 17th. Following this match, they will be on the road against Luton Town FC on March 2nd.
Nottingham Forest Offense Breakdown
Nottingham Forest’s offense has been solid this season, averaging 1.3 goals per match, which is 16th in the EPL. Chris Wood has been their top scorer, finding the back of the net eight times, which is 18th in the league. Anthony Elanga has been their top playmaker, as he is seventh in the league in assists. He has also scored five goals, which is 52nd in the EPL. Overall, Forest is 18th in shots on goal and 19th in corner kicks.
Aston Villa Offense Breakdown
So far this season, Aston Villa has been one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the EPL, ranking 5th in goals scored and 6th in shots on goal. They have also been one of the most efficient passing teams in the league, ranking 6th in passing percentage. Aston Villa has been able to generate a lot of corner kicks this season, averaging 6.2 per match. In fact, in 68% of their matches, they have had more corner kicks than their opponents. The team’s leading scorer is Ollie Watkins, who is 4th in the EPL in goals scored. He is also 4th in the league in shots on goal and 2nd in assists.
Nottingham Forest Defense Breakdown
Over their last five matches, the Nottingham Forest defense has been up and down. They have given up three goals twice, but they also have a shutout during that span. Overall, they are 15th in the EPL in goals allowed, giving up 1.8 goals per match. Keeper Matt Turner is 18th in the EPL with two clean sheets. Overall, they are 16th in blocked shots and 9th in interceptions. They are also 5th in the EPL in fouls committed.
Aston Villa Defense Breakdown
Over their last seven matches, Aston Villa has given up 1.4 goals per match, and they are coming off a match where they gave up just one goal to Fulham FC. However, they have also given up three goals in a match twice over their last seven matches. On the season, they are 4th in the EPL in goals allowed, and they are 9th in blocked shots. Keeper Emiliano Martínez is 8th in the EPL in clean sheets, and he is 11th in saves.
Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa Prediction
Looking at how we expect this EPL matchup between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa to play out, we are going with Aston Villa to win by a score of 3-1. Coming into the match, Aston Villa has been the better offensive team, ranking 5th in goals scored and 6th in shooting percentage. Our projections have Ollie Watkins as the top projected goal scorer for Aston Villa. On the other side, Chris Wood has the best odds to score for Nottingham Forest.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:February 23, 2024 Aston Villa FC, Nottingham Forest FC