Damian 01 January 2026
They say, the hardest part about getting promoted is staying in the new division. I think they are probably right. And the hardest part about going on a winning run like we have, is going to be the first match after defeat.
Nottingham Forest is that match and the result on Saturday is going to be the most important part. Not the performance, but getting three points. If we don't get three points, we know the narrative, but if we do get three points I think some will be looking at Aston Villa a little differently.
Playing at home will help us too. We've looked a little tired the last couple of matches and I think Villa Park will help. But after Saturday, we have two more matches in London. I'm not suggesting that London is the issue but playing away doesn't make it easier and playing at Villa Park does.
It's not just about home support, although I think that plays a part, it's the recovery and the ability to prepare. In this day and age, these aspects of a match day are important. So, onto Saturday, but before that a little on Arsenal.
It was always going to be tough and as I wrote above, we didn't look 100%. That written, Arsenal also had a home match before us, so they were going to be in a better position. But and this isn't sour grapes, I don't think they'll win the League and I think they'll bottle it again.
There is something about them that looks about to break. And Arteta, a little like Maresca who has just left Chelsea, are not Pep. And Pep looks like (I'm writing this before City play later) he's got Manchester City looking right up for this second half of the season.
Match facts from the BBC
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* Aston Villa are unbeaten in their last six Premier League home games against Nottingham Forest, winning the last five in a row. Their last defeat was in October 1994 under Ron Atkinson (0-2).
* Nottingham Forest have won two of their last four league games against Aston Villa (L2), as many as they had in their previous 18 (D7 L9).
* Aston Villa beat Leicester 2-1 in their first Premier League game of 2025. They’ve not won their opening league game in consecutive calendar years since 2008/2009.
* Nottingham Forest have won their opening league game in five of the last seven calendar years, including a 3-0 win at Wolves in 2025. The exceptions in this run were a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in 2023, and a 2-3 loss at Brentford in 2024.
* Aston Villa have won their last 10 home games in all competitions, last having a longer run between October 1989 and January 1990 (11).
* Aston Villa’s 4-1 defeat at Arsenal ended their eight game winning run in the Premier League (11 in all competitions). Only twice since the start of 2023-24 have they lost consecutive league games, doing so in November 2024 and August this season.
* No team have failed to score in more different Premier League games this season than Nottingham Forest (10), while only Wolves (11) have scored fewer goals than the Tricky Trees (18).
* Having been unbeaten in his first three Premier League away games against Aston Villa (W1 D2), Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche has lost his last two at Villa Park by an aggregate score of 7-2.
* Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has scored three goals in his last two Premier League games, as many as he had in his previous 19. However, his last five league goals have come away from home, last scoring at Villa Park in September against Fulham.
* Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White are Nottingham Forest’s top scorers in the Premier League this season with three goals each. Only Wolves have a lower scoring top scorer in the competition this term (2).