Nottingham Forest

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

While in many ways Saturday's 4-2 loss to Aston Villa typified Nottingham Forest's season, perhaps it is not a result to lose too much sleep over.

Going away to a team determined to finish in the top four, as things stand, we had to be on top of our game and they had to be off theirs. That is not to say there is much to reflect on, especially the mistakes as well as the fight to come back with two goals.

But the games we have the best chance in, the games that really matter in terms of taking points off those around us, are yet to come.

Of course, Forest being Forest, we are likely to pick up points when we least expect them. But with 15 points available from matches against the clubs closest to us - Luton, Crystal Palace, Everton, Sheffield United and Burnley - you have to think those five games are the best chance of putting some distance between us and the bottom three.

With 12 Premier League fixtures left, and the uncertainty of a possible points deduction, we may well need to get to the 40-point mark to ensure safety. With the first profitability and sustainability rules hearing expected to begin in the near future, things might be a little clearer very soon.

Pat Riddell can be found at The Famous Club, external

Relegation-threatened Premier League teams have been handed a bombshell after it was announced Everton have retrieved on appeal four of the 10 points they were deducted for breaching Premier League financial rules.

Pending the other charges both they and Nottingham Forest are facing, the Toffees have moved above Forest and Brentford into 15th place and opened up a five point cushion over Luton in 18th - the final relegation place.

Both the Bees and the Hatters have a game in hand over Sean Dyche's side, but the latest update in this saga has put the Toffees back into the driving seat in the relegation battle and will leave Thomas Frank and Nuno Espirito Santo looking nervously over their shoulders.

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media to preview Wednesday's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Manchester United at the City Ground.

Here are the main headlines from his news conference:

• Nuno was asked to comment on the reduction of Everton's punishment for breaching financial rules. He said: "I understand you will ask about this but I cannot tell you much. We still have to wait for the decision regarding us to be made, then we will see."

• Asked about the progress of Forest's ongoing case, he added: "You should ask someone else from the club, my job is to prepare the team. Regarding the hearing and the decision, we are waiting. There are people in the club taking care of that."

• Nuno said "nothing has changed" regarding the club's injured players and he will select from "basically the same" group of players that was available for Saturday's Premier League game at Aston Villa.

• Asked how much Forest's next Premier League match against Liverpool on Saturday will affect his thinking for the cup tie, Nuno said: "Our idea is to go game by game".

• Nuno was later asked how that approach might increase the risk of further injuries to first-team players. He said: "You cannot think what's coming up, you have to deal with situations in front of you. If you're concerned about what can happen, my idea doesn't make sense. We always look for the best."

• On Manchester United: "They're a very good team with a very good squad. We are going to face a tough opponent on Wednesday. [The win over United in December] is useful for us to look at, knowing that it's not going to be a repeat. It's going to be a new one, new things will happen, but we want to go for the game, continue in the FA Cup and give big joy and happiness to our fantastic fans."

• On the importance of playing at home: "Playing at the City Ground for us is huge, we want our players to feel comfortable and confident, and to use this fantastic energy that we have from the stands."

We asked you for your thoughts on Saturday's Premier League match between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest

Here are some of your comments:

Villa fans

Neil: We do seem a little vulnerable at the back with our high line, but then we do have four injured centre halves and against Forest had to start the second half with a new pairing. But we made up for that with our forward play. We've scored 79 goals this season in 38 games in all competitions, so are on course for more than 100 goals this season: Fab.

Shak: Good to be back to winning ways at Villa Park. Seemed to be able to cut through Forest at will. Leon Bailey was on fire again while Ollie Watkins, Dougie Luiz and Youri Tielemans all played well. Onwards and upwards and the result was made better by Man Utd losing.

Isaac: Amazing! Champions League - here we come!

James: Took my son to his first game at Villa Park and couldn’t have wished for a better introduction to supporting the Villa. It’s so refreshing to see relentless attack-minded football in B6!

Forest fans

Kris: Another lesson in abject defending provided by Forest. In Nuno’s defence he’s inherited some very average players and the midfield lacks a general. Felipe looked past it, Niakhate at left-back was a disaster and Murillo was a liability until subbed. That aside, this Villa team are a slick, well-oiled machine, while we looked like a rusty old banger.

Lozza: Villa were OK, Forest were average. Calling it a scintillating performance is absolutely ridiculous. Both teams need to learn to defend. Entertaining, if poor quality.

Morrie: We spent the whole first half backing away all the time, Villa had time on the ball. All the first half Forest played as if uninterested with no pattern to their play.

Fosi: Disgusting display in first half, no fight, no idea. Team selection was rubbish with no left-back, and three goals conceded from the left side. In the second half we played football for 10 minutes then it was back to rubbish. Still no defence - we can't tackle, we can't run. we can't pass. Again, it shows the lack of quality of players bought. Not good enough.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's six Premier League matches.

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

Listen back to BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries in full on BBC Sounds:

Manchester United v Fulham

Bournemouth v Manchester City

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams to Premier League Productions: "It wasn't our day today. First half especially we were poor. Need to look back on it and make sure it doesn't happen again. Second half was better, but unfortunately wasn't enough today.

"They are a top side, away from home is never easy, but it [the defeat] was down to our performance today."

On the triple change at half-time: "Murillo and Felipe were both on yellow cards so no point risking them. It was a tactical one."

On the relegation fight: "We know we have quality in the squad, and the belief. Everyone is so committed to our gameplan each week. There were parts of our game which were really good, but won't take away from the score line."

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo speaking to Match of the Day: "We started very bad, we conceded too easily. This is something we have to improve."

On being cut open down the right: "The attack from both sides, it is our responsibility to solve the problem. We will analyse the game to rectify and improve.

"It is too easy for the opponent to score. We are always able to score, so we need to balance these two parts of the game."

On the second half: "The moment we scored for 3-2, there was a feeling we could go for it. But we conceded, and it was game over."

Callum Matthews
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

This was simply a bad day for Forest.

They were cut open at will in the first half with Moussa Niakhate struggling out of position at left-back.

It meant Felipe and Murillo were being dragged out of position constantly and both were cautioned before being taken off at half-time.

Manager Nuno Espirito Santo will be encouraged by the response to going 3-0 down and if Anthony Elanga had scored when through on goal at 3-2 the game may have been different.

Forest have now scored 17 Premier League goals in Nuno's time in charge - the same as in the first 17 games of the season under Steve Cooper - and that is a positive heading into the final stretch of the season.

That may keep them in the Premier League - but their fate may ultimately be decided by the outcome of the charge against the club for alleged breaches of profit and sustainability rules in their accounts for 2022-23.

• Aston Villa have won 17 of their last 20 home Premier League games (D1 L2), scoring 49 goals in this run. They have, however, conceded 2 or more goals in each of their last four matches at Villa Park.

• Since their return to the Premier League last season, Nottingham Forest have won just three of their 32 away league games, while their 21 losses on the road is the most of any side in the division during this period (D8).

• Aston Villa have lost just one of their last 15 home league games against Nottingham Forest (W8 D6) and are unbeaten in eight since a 2-0 loss in October 1994.

• With 14 goals and 10 assists, no player has been involved in more Premier League goals this season than Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins (24, level with Mohamed Salah).

• Only Salah (11) has scored more home Premier League goals this season than Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz (9 – level with Erling Haaland).

• All nine of Douglas Luiz's Premier League goals this season have come at Villa Park; only two players - Georginio Wijnaldum in 2015-16 (11) and Les Ferdinand in 2000-01 (10) - have scored more in a single Premier League campaign with 100% coming at home.

Douglas Luiz scored twice as a scintillating attacking display earned Aston Villa all three points against Nottingham Forest at Villa Park.

Villa took the lead in the fourth minute with Ollie Watkins tapping in his 14th Premier League goal of the season after brilliant work down the right by Leon Bailey.

Luiz then scored twice in 10 minutes, first slotting home a Jacob Ramsey cut-back in the 29th minute, before heading in John McGinn's right-wing cross.

Moussa Niakhate chested home his first Forest goal in first-half stoppage-time, before Morgan Gibbs-White dinked over the advancing Emi Martinez three minutes after the break.

Bailey secured the three points for the hosts, tapping into a vacant net after Watkins' effort was saved following Forest losing the ball high up in their own half.

The result sees fourth-placed Villa open a five-point lead on Tottenham, who are not in action this weekend, and a eight-point gap to sixth-placed Manchester United, who lost 2-1 against Fulham at Old Trafford.

Forest remain 16th, four points clear of the relegation zone.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from home?

Aston Villa fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Forest fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

There are six games being played in the Premier League on Saturday and we will bring you every moment.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

All times are GMT - listen to BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries on BBC Sounds

BBC pundit Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's games, he takes on former England striker Jermain Defoe.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Both of these teams won last weekend, and it feels like Nottingham Forest have picked up a bit even if their results have not always reflected their improvement.

Villa's brilliant home form has dropped off - they have lost their past three games there in all competitions - but that is only a blip. Ollie Watkins is back in form and they should return to winning ways on Saturday.

Jermain's prediction: 3-1

Read all of Sutton's predictions for this weekend's games

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Nottingham Forest's Premier League match against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Ola Aina, Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangare have all returned from the Africa Cup of Nations with injuries, making them unavailable for the weekend and they "don't have date to return".

• Asked about the club working with ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg as a referee analyst, Nuno said: "Appointing Mark was more to try to understand decisions that have been made, the interpretation of the referee and VAR. We had an incident against West Ham that was clear. Neither the referee nor VAR made the right decision because it was a penalty, so understanding those decisions."

• On facing Aston Villa at Villa Park, he said: "We will try to do our thing, Villa will try to stop us, we will try to find solutions. It is a game of questions and answers over and over again. We have to prepare our players to do their task and be disciplined, we have to then play our game, combine and attack. It is a game of football, that will not be any different."

• He said "there is no secret" to his and Forest's good Premier League record against Unai Emery and added: "Every game has its own history and tomorrow will be a new one."

• On the confidence boost that might be gained if Forest can achieve back-to-back wins, he said: "[It would] make a big difference. Every time we achieve a good performance and result, we want to replicate it. We know how hard it is to get back-to-back wins, but this is what we want, what we prepare for and what we try to go for tomorrow."

• Nuno said Callum Hudson-Odoi is "playing well and improving" but "there are still lots of things he needs to do better, but I'm really happy with him."

• He added: "We try to improve every player, that is our main obsession to improve all the players, if we can do that it will be fantastic. Since we arrived you say players are improving individually, but that will reflect on the team. All the players are a focus for us and we're determined to improve them - tactically, physically, mentally - this is how we work."

Follow all of Friday's news conference updates

Image source, Getty Images

On the latest episode of the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast, BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray spoke about why Nottingham Forest are working with former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg.

Fray said: "I think the reason for him being there is to help and advise the more senior figures at the club as to why a decision may have been given, and at what time and for what incidents you decide to make complaints or just say 'we'll let it go' - from somebody who has been there, to be able to advise as to what battles are worth fighting really.

"But also, I guess, to advise Nuno [Espirito Santo] for post-match interviews as to how to maybe handle questions that may arise. He may be one of the first figures that Nuno goes to post-match because Nuno may be thinking about a controversial incident, he might go to Clattenburg who says 'I wouldn't worry about it too much', and therefore he starts to play it down in the media immediately and it doesn't become an issue."

He added: "It may be the case that a referees' association like PGMOL or the Premier League themselves might be more open to questions from a former referee, rather than someone in a football club who has not been in that position before.

"I can see why one or two people are a little bit puzzled, I was too when I first heard it, but I can also where he can probably fit in. I think there's a few things there where you can see he can help. Whether it will be a long-term thing, who knows?"

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Nottingham Forest have a clean sheet to celebrate, some VAR to debate and a special fan to champion.

This week's Shut Up And Show More Football offers more on 92-year-old Vera Hill and also looks at what's pressing for Nuno and the players next.

The new episode is here

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's game between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

• Following their 2-0 win at the City Ground in November, Nottingham Forest are looking to complete their first league double over Aston Villa since 1984-85.

• After a 17-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League – 16 of which were victories – Aston Villa have now lost their last two games at Villa Park. They last lost three in a row in November 2020 under Dean Smith.

• Nottingham Forest have scored in all eight of their Premier League games under Nuno Espirito Santo, netting 15 goals in total. It’s just two fewer goals than they scored in 17 league games under Steve Cooper this season.

• Unai Emery has won just one of his six meetings with Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo (D3 L2). He is without a win in all three Premier League meetings with the Portuguese manager (D2 L1).

• Ollie Watkins has been involved in 23 Premier League goals this season, scoring 13 and assisting 10. Only Dwight Yorke in 1995-96 (27) has ever been involved in more goals for Aston Villa in a single Premier League campaign.