After an impressive outing in Portugal, where they secured a 1-1 draw against FC Porto in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarter-final on April 10, Nottingham Forest now turn their attention back to the English Premier League.
The Reds are currently 16th in the table with 32 points from 31 matches, sitting just two points above the relegation zone. With the battle for survival intensifying, every game becomes crucial from here on.
Another tough challenge awaits them in the form of Aston Villa. Managed by Unai Emery, Villa are enjoying a strong campaign and are currently fourth in the standings with 54 points from 31 matches. While the title race may be out of reach, their primary goal remains securing a Champions League spot for next season.
Villa will now travel to the City Ground, home of Nottingham Forest, for this key fixture. They come into the match with momentum, having secured a 3-1 away win over Bologna in their first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarter-final. However, Forest will be hoping to use home advantage and the support of their fans to pull off a surprise.
In the reverse fixture earlier this season on January 3 at Villa Park, Forest were outplayed and suffered a 3-1 defeat. That result gives Villa the chance to complete a league double, while the hosts will be aiming for revenge.
Forest’s home form this season has been a major concern. Since their emphatic 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the City Ground on December 14, 2025, they have gone on a seven-game winless run at home in the league. This includes four draws — three of them goalless — and three defeats.
During this run, they have scored just two goals while conceding six. It is currently their longest home winless streak in the Premier League since 1999, underlining the scale of the challenge they face.
Ahead of this crucial clash, Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira addressed the media in the pre-match press conference. He spoke about the importance of the result, managing the schedule, and provided an update on striker Chris Wood.
“Need a good result”
Pereira stressed the importance of getting a positive result against a strong Aston Villa side. He also highlighted the need to balance domestic and European commitments, with the second leg against Porto approaching.
“The moment of Aston Villa is not the same as Tottenham but, thinking about us, in our mind is to prepare, to compete, to get points because we need a good result. To have a good result is important, we need to be with fresh legs and fresh minds to face a strong team like Aston Villa.
“We need to face these games [Villa and the Porto second leg] in our best level, that’s why it’s important to balance the two competitions. Otherwise, it would be impossible to move on.”
“Time to unite the army with good spirit”
Pereira made it clear that his team’s focus should remain on their own performance, regardless of the opponent’s form.
“If you are competing for the Champions League or struggling to keep a team in the Premier League, it is a different challenge, but it is not up to them, it is up to us. It is time to recover, time to unite the army with good spirit to play in our level against Aston Villa and try to win the game.”
“Fantastic player”
Chris Wood recently returned from a six-month injury layoff and featured for 45 minutes against Porto. Pereira confirmed that the striker is progressing well and has no fresh injury concerns.
“Fantastic player, fantastic character. We will see next game. We try step-by-step to get the confidence and the shape. No injury, 45 minutes, next game we will see.”