Breaking News:Aston Villa manager Unai Emery makes shock ‘rivals’ claim about Nottingham Forest…
Nottingham Forest host Aston Villa on Saturday, with the two sides becoming intertwined in the Premier League this season.
With Nottingham Forest beating Manchester United last Saturday, the club took their points tally to 25, which is exactly the same number as Villa.
Not only do the two clubs share the same number of points, but their seven wins, four draws and four defeats mean that Forest and Villa have secured these points in an identical fashion.
Team
MP
W
D
L
GD
Pts
4
Man City
15 8 3 4 6 27
5
Nottm Forest
15 7 4 4 1 25
6
Aston Villa
15 7 4 4 0 25
There may be little between the two sides, but Forest may have some advantages to work with. Leon Bailey is a doubt for Villa, whilst Villa’s wastefulness in front of goal could be exploited by Nuno Espirito Santo’s counterattacking style.
The similarities between the two sides have led to a surprise admission from Villa boss Unai Emery, who was discussing Forest in the press this week.
Nottingham Forest’s manager Nuno Espirito Santo is greeted by Aston Villa’s manager Unai Emery (right) during the Premier League match between Asto…
Photo by Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest are now ‘rivals’ says Unai Emery
Full of praise for Forest’s start to the season, Emery said: “Forest are always a respectful team for us. They are now our rivals because they have the same points that we [Aston Villa] have.
“They are having an amazing, amazing season. Last season we played there [City Ground] in different circumstances and lost so I know the difficulties we are going to face tomorrow.”
Whilst both sides are situated in the midlands of England, there isn’t a traditional rivalry between the two whether historical or competitive.
For Espirito Santo and Forest, though, comments like these show the progress the team is making. To be considered a threat by one of the sides that qualified for the Champions League last season highlights that this brilliant start to the season isn’t just a blip.
Forest can exploit key weakness in Aston Villa on Saturday
To beat their self-proclaimed rivals, Espirito Santo and the Forest squad can use their home advantage to their benefit.
Be the first to comment