Nottingham Forest are coming off of the biggest shock of the FA Cup's third round. The Reds defeated cup holders Arsenal in a 4-2 thriller. Now, Nottingham Forest return to play in the Championship and hope to translate their cup success into a league win.
Forest not only go into Saturday's late fixture following an FA Cup win, but the team also has a new manager in tow. Former Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka was appointed as manager less than 24 hours after the club's FA Cup result against Arsenal.
Karanka inherits a team stuck in mid-table. He needs to turn around Forest's defence as the team has allowed the fifth most goals in the Championship this term (42). The new manager must also find consistency as Forest has won back-to-back games just twice all season. Currently, the team is on a run of five games without a win, but did draw against rivals Leeds United in its last league match on New Year's Day.
Forest's leading scorer is attacker Keiran Dowell. On loan from Premier League side Everton, Dowell has struck eight times for the Reds. He has also added four assists, the second most of any Forest player.
Aston Villa currently sit nine places higher in the Championship table than Saturday's opponents Forest. Villa are in the midst of a promotion fight and the West Midlands club are good value to make the promotion playoffs. Villa are just five points off of second place, which would give them automatic promotion back into the Premier League. The team's form will need to stay consistent if it is to catch second place Derby.
Since taking over the club's managerial reins in October 2016, Steve Bruce has steered Villa away from what could have been a successive relegation, and into a strong Championship team. The Villains have faced defeat just six times this term. Villa's biggest problem hasn't been the losses, however. Rather, it has been turning draws into wins.
Leading goal scorer Albert Adomah has been a revelation. The Ghanaian international has scored 11 times and added two assists. He recently returned from injury an added an assist in Villa's 5-0 win over Bristol City on New Year's Day.
Aston Villa are +14 in goal differential this term, and the team's last two Championship wins have seen them post consecutive clean sheets. The club is still assessing the fitness of striker Scott Hogan following an ankle sprain against Bristol City. Villa could also have John Terry back in central defence for the fixture following his return from a broken foot.
The last time Nottingham Forest met Aston Villa in the Championship was September 23. Villa led early thanks to an Adomah goal in the 15th minute. Forest's Daryl Murphy equalised, but the Villains went on to win thanks to a second half strike from Conor Hourihane. Forest will be a much different side coming off of their recent FA Cup win over Arsenal. The added factor of a new manager could also make this match much different than the teams' last meeting.
Although Aston Villa are flying high, Nottingham Forest have the added bonus of a new manager. The players will want to impress the new boss, which could leave this fixture level after 90 minutes.