Aston Villa

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Aston Villa have announced their FA Cup fixture with West Ham on Friday, 10 January will be their dedicated match for the club's 150th anniversary.

The club have announced there will be a "pre-match experience like no other" and supporters will be able to enjoy "exclusive promotions on food, drink and retail".

A number of former players have helped organise the anniversary match, in a group called the AV150 Honorary Board and Villa's President of Business Operations Chris Heck, said: "This milestone match will be a proud and memorial occasion for everyone connected to the club.

"Under the lights of Villa Park, we look forward to sharing what promises to be a truly special evening in the FA Cup with our supporters and the entire Villa family."

David Michael
Fan writer

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At the moment, it is hard to fully trust this Aston Villa team.

While some fans could pacify themselves with the 'whataboutery' of other teams' patchy Premier League form, this season presented a golden opportunity for Villa to cement themselves in the top four. Too often, though, games have slipped away from winning positions - the late collapse at Nottingham Forest being the most recent example.

Considering Villa were second only to Manchester City in the 2023 calendar year for results, they should have been better placed to capitalise on the defending champions' uncharacteristic slump in form, rather than mirroring it.

On a brighter note, the result in Leipzig was a massive boost for Villa's season. They showed both examples of their true potential, alongside the lapses that continue to frustrate.

Crucially, the win means that three points from their remaining two Champions League games would see them well positioned to finish in the competition's top eight and skip the unwanted play-offs round.

The importance of skipping the extra knockout round cannot be over-estimated. Dropping out at that stage earns a team an extra 1m euros, while progressing to the last 16 earns them 11m euros. The 10m euros difference is the most significant jump in prize money between rounds in the tournament - and makes finishing the job against Monaco and Celtic pivotal.

Beyond the financial stakes, finishing in the top eight would give Unai Emery a vital extra month (February) off from the tournament.

With time to tweak and, crucially, to cut out the mistakes that have undermined them in recent months, Villa could rediscover the form that made them so formidable in 2023.

Do that, and they could finish the season strongly, become a team you can trust again, and one that might even emerge as a dark horse on the European stage.

Find more from David Michael at My Old Man Said, external

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.

Here are some of your comments:

Forest fans:

Stu: Forest rode their luck with the penalty shout and the tackle on Matty Cash but at the end of the day we wanted it more and probably deserved it overall. Villa are not playing their best football but were still competitive to the end and after an extra game and travelling in mid-week I think they can be proud of the performance.

Marcus: We proved we're not just a flash in the pan. After a marginal disallowed goal, we dug deep and came of age. Respect to Villa, got an edge-of-your-seat game.

Charlie: Just like the old music halls, it's not over until the fat lady sings. Despite being down to a very good Villa goal and the wrong side of a close VAR call, the whole team battled on to the very end to the joy of a rocking City Ground. The Reds took some knocks - Ryan Yates and Murrillo - but the team fought on with a man-of-the-match performance from Elliot Anderson who is cementing his position with every game. Good to see the attacking confidence of Nuno Espirito Santo, as he brought on Anthony Elanga who vindicated his manager's substitution.

Jay: Really encouraging win. Shows a new character to Forest too. The last time we scored a late winner was early last season against Sheffield United, and you'd have to go back to our promotion season to find a comeback as late as the one we just witnessed. If we want to keep hopes of a European place alive, we need teams to constantly fear a Forest ascendancy. Momentum, momentum, momentum!

Villa fans:

Cassie: Fair play to Forest, they wanted the ball more than Villa, wanted to win the game and showed more determination and passion. Why do Villa players sit back after they go one goal up? Emery needs to bring in two or three players in January, and yes, he has to let some players leave the club. We are so inconsistent - another Champions League hangover.

Jack: Villa played terribly towards the end. A couple of terrible decisions ended up losing us the game, when we should have had a win, albeit a poor win. Jhon Duran is making a clear case ahead of Ollie Watkins. It was a great save from Emi Martinez but then a mistake later on cost us.

Marty: Usual lacklustre display after a European expedition. Plus the truncated play from defence is fast becoming outdated (you watch Chelsea/Liverpool play out) and puts too much pressure on our midfield with zero threat in attack. Overall we're in a happy place but some January signings are going to be key. And by the way, well done Forest!

Carlos: Poor game management again as Villa failed to at least keep a point for a draw. There were two really big decisions against us with a clear pull on Rogers for a penalty and a clear foul by Anderson on Cash leading to their winner. Strange substitutions too. Cash was shattered and should have come off, whereas Boubacar Kamara was outstanding and holding it all together.

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 2-2 Fulham

• Nottingham Forest 2-1 Aston Villa

Ben Collins
BBC Sport journalist

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In a BBC poll after Aston Villa's Champions League win on Tuesday, 44% said that Jhon Duran should start up front on his own, even when Ollie Watkins is fully fit.

Watkins was forced off with a minor injury in midweek, so Duran was handed consecutive starts for the first time in the Premier League.

The Colombia striker, who turned 21 on Friday, had a quiet game yet still managed to open the scoring with a second-half header.

And although Nottingham Forest scored two late goals to snatch a 2-1 victory, the clamour for Duran to keep starting ahead of seven-goal England striker Watkins continues to grow.

This was Duran's 51st Premier League appearance but only his fifth start. Yet he has scored in three straight Villa appearances for the first time and has scored in all five starts in all competitions this season.

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Aston Villa defender Matty Cash speaking to Sky Sports after the loss: "We are really disappointed. We always knew it was a tough place to come. The first 60 minutes we did well but maybe we lost a bit of control in the last 30 minutes. We are really disappointed at the end.

"It is tough. You have to come to places like this and be strong and try and get three points. We didn't do enough to get that but we pick ourselves up and go again next week.

"Everyone is important. We have built a good team bond here and we have a string squad with a fantastic manager. The challenge is to finish as high up as we can. We will go again and look to bounce back."

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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery speaking to BBC Match of the Day after today's loss: "We played the game plan and did fantastic in the first 70 minutes and scored one goal. We were trying to stop them in the high press but they are not pushing up and we are more or less doing this in the beginning.

"When we scored they pushed more and made changes. We tried to be consistent and we did not do that in the last 20 minutes and conceded the goals - one offside - but if we do that we won't be in the top eight.

"We are in the process of building the team and we are trying to be competitive and consistent. Today was a key moment because we are going to fight with them for the opportunity to be in the top eight. Today they got advantage and it is our challenge."

On the battle between Watkins and Duran: "Yes it is perfect."

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Nottingham Forest won this game despite being 0-1 down at 86:14 - the latest they have ever trailed in a Premier League game they have gone on to win.

This was also the latest Aston Villa have led in a Premier League game they've gone on to lose since November 2019 vs Liverpool (1-0 up until 86:35, losing 2-1).

With 28 points, this is Forest's best points return after 16 games in a top-flight campaign since 1994-95 (also 28), going on to finish third that season.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Nottingham Forest's performance

What did you make of Villa's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Read the report and follow reaction

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and we will bring you all the key moments.

• Arsenal v Everton

• Liverpool v Fulham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Newcastle v Leicester

• Wolves v Ipswich

• Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.

For week 16 he takes on darts star Stephen Bunting, who is a Liverpool fan.

Bunting, who is ranked eighth in the Professional Darts Championship (PDC) order of merit, takes on Alan Soutar or Kai Gotthardt in the second round of the PDC World Championship, which starts at London's Alexandra Palace on Sunday.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

This is fifth versus sixth, and I am expecting it to be close.

Aston Villa have found some form again recently, but this is another test of their squad after a Champions League game in midweek, something they have struggled with previously.

I tend to back Nottingham Forest when they are at home but they seem just as good on their travels these days, maybe because they like to play on the counter-attack.

I don't think they will lose this but I don't want to back against Villa either, so a draw seems like the most likely outcome, doesn't it?

Bunting's prediction: 2-2

This game has got draw written all over it as well.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

After difficulties on and off the pitch last season, Nuno Espirito Santo has lifted Nottingham Forest to unexpected heights this campaign. On the other side of the pitch, it had been a tough few weeks for Aston Villa but three consecutive wins suggests Unai Emery's side may have turned a corner.

Their respective form sets up an intriguing Midlands derby at the City Ground on Saturday.

While the two sides go head to head on the pitch, we asked our fan writers for each club to go head to head off it.

They both to ask three questions of each other before the big game...

Saveena Johal
Fan writer

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Here is what our Nottingham Forest fan Saveena Johal had to say on questions put by our Aston Villa supporter Richard Sutherland.

How far do you think Nottingham Forest can go this season?

Momentum surrounding our club is extremely high at the moment, given our recent well-deserved victory at Old Trafford. Off the back of a few recent sore defeats, bouncing up to fifth brings a great sense of hope, especially with Chris Wood in exceptional form.

We are undeniably clear of relegation, so setting our sights on a top-half finish feels reasonable. For our third consecutive season in the Premier League, the improvements are more than promising.

With the form of so many of your players, how worried are you about losing the likes of Morgan Gibbs-white, Murrilo, Callum Hudson-Odoi?

As long as we were to make good money on those players, I have full confidence in the current recruitment team bringing in worthy replacements.

At present, we have depth at centre-half with Morato and Andrew Omabamidele, as well as Elliot Anderson in midfield. Provided our strong form continues, those in our starting line-up would be unlikely to want to leave and, even if they did, we would appeal to any potential new signings.

After a difficult spell managing Tottenham and the great job that Steve Cooper did, how much credit do you give Nuno Espirito Santo for what he's achieved at Forest?

Beating Liverpool and Manchester United away in the very same season is no small feat and, up until now, was unheard of for our club.

Nuno's capabilities are clear and the team culture he has built is incredibly special this season. His backroom staff also deserve a lot of credit - who, interestingly, were not allowed with him during his time at Spurs.

We have a lot to praise him for both on and off the pitch, as witnessed through his community work. Right now we're flying - mainly thanks to him.

Find more from Saveena at Punjabi Forest, external

Richard Sutherland
Fan writer

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Here is what our Aston Villa supporter Richard Sutherland had to say on questions put by our Nottingham Forest fan Saveena Johal.

What do you make of your away form this season, and do you feel your Champions League run has impacted this?

Our away form started very well with wins at West Ham, Leicester and Fulham, however, defeats at Tottenham and Liverpool, while tough places to go, did bring us back down to earth.

This Saturday against Forest presents another tough test and, while our results after Champions League games have been patchy, I would put it down to player performance rather than the European hangover.

With Ollie Watkins recently on the bench against Southampton, how much of an impact do you think Jhon Duran could make if he were to start instead?

It is a difficult one because Ollie Watkins does so much work for the team, but Duran is a brilliant finisher and plays with so much freedom.

At the moment, I would say Watkins just shades it, but what a combination of strikers to have.

What areas of your team do you think will play to Forest's strengths in this match?

Our defence has been an issue for us this season, with only two clean sheets in the Premier League.

We have been susceptible to teams who like to break quickly and, with the speed that Forest possess in the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga, that will certainly cause Villa problems on Saturday.

Hopefully not too many though!

Find more from Richard at The Villa Park Podcast, external

Tasnim Chowdhury
BBC Sport journalist

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest (kick-off 17:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news: "We are going to train today in the evening. After that training session we are going to decide how the players are. We trained yesterday but it was a recovery day and some players rested. We are going to try to train and to know how we are after four matches in a few days."

• On Ollie Watkins: "I don't know because we are waiting. Yesterday, he was recovering. If he is training normally and feeling good, he's going to be available."

• On the mentality of his team and squad rotations: "I want to play the best players. I want them to play 100% in every competition - not decide between one competition or another. This is my mentality and this is the mentality I want of the players. The rotation is something we need because some players have a small chance of injuries, or they are more tired than normal. But I always try to decide the best players with 100% full mentality to play."

• On Nottingham Forest: "Forest are always a respectful team for us. They are our rival because they are on the same points. They are doing an amazing job this season. Last year we played in different circumstances - we lost and I know how many difficulties we will have against them."

• He added: "We will try to play with the best players we have. The best players will be more or less full in everything, [including] energy."

• On Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo: "Now I think that I can see Nottingham Forest with his face and identity. It's always very competitive. As a coach I played against him in Spain and in the Premier League, with Wolves and Arsenal. The matches we played were very difficult for us. His experience is very important, even in Europe."

Follow all of Saturday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to full commentary of Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa from 17:30 on Saturday on BBC Radio 5 Live

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Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has done "everything he can" to try and get a starting spot ahead of Ollie Watkins, says former defender Curtis Davies.

Duran once again demonstrated his scoring prowess from the bench on Tuesday night when he scored his 10th goal of the season with Villa's second against RB Leipzig.

It was the third time the 21-year-old has found the net in the Champions League, while regular starting forward Ollie Watkins has yet to get off the mark.

"Ollie Watkins is a brilliant footballer and has done brilliantly - but Villa are now a Champions League football club, a team that want to be near the top of the league," David told BBC Radio WM. "There needs to be competition for places.

"Now, if Watkins is the automatic number one, then that causes a problem for Duran, because he was on the verge of leaving in the summer – albeit a certain club didn't want to pay the right amount of money for him – and he stayed.

"He's pulled up trees to do everything he can to show how good he is. So, there comes a time when he needs to get the nod.

"I know he's young, I know he's developing, and I understand that Watkins is so important for the team, especially in the way they do things defensively as well as the attacking side. But I'd say Jhon Duran is more than due a start. Even if, for the moment with the injuries that Villa have got, Ollie Watkins moves to the wing - that could be an option to maybe keep both happy."

Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

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Strikers like to feel like they are number one and have the full trust of the manager. That is what Ollie Watkins had last season from Unai Emery.

Watkins was scoring a lot of goals, which in turn boosted his confidence and performance levels - but Jhon Duran was not really around then.

Duran, who does not like to be labelled a 'super-sub' but sort of is, is now a little bit of competition for him and perhaps that has unsettled Watkins slightly.

Every time Duran comes on he seems to have an impact and he did it again against RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday.

It is difficult to fit them both into the system. They both have different qualities and if you compare the two, it will come down to their all-round performances.

Watkins' work rate and all-round game is probably the best, but Duran has scored the most goals from outside of the box. If Duran is to become Villa's first choice striker then he needs to improve his game out of possession because it is not just about scoring goals.

Duran is only 20 years old and he will want more minutes. Given his performances I am sure there will be other offers coming in from other clubs at the end of the season.

The club will then have to decide what they are going to do because he will be ambitious and he will want the game time moving forward.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Aston Villa's Champions League campaign was given a further boost with a 3-2 win over RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

Unai Emery's side are in a strong position to finish in the top eight and qualify directly for the last 16.

Take a look at the highlights and what the pundits had to say.

Emery says their target for the competition has been raised and they now hope to finish in the top eight of the Champions League table.

Leeds United are the latest Championship side linked with a January loan move for Aston Villa's 21-year-old English forward Louie Barry, who is currently on loan at League One side Stockport County. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column