Nottingham Forest host Aston Villa on Saturday, with the two clubs becoming increasingly entangled in the Premier League this season.
Nottingham Forest overcame Manchester United last Saturday, bringing their total points to 25, the same as Villa.
Not only do the two clubs have the same number of points, but their seven wins, four draws, and four defeats indicate that Forest and Villa earned these points in the same way.
There may be little separating the two sides, but Forest may have some advantages to work with. Leon Bailey is a doubt for Villa, and Nuno Espirito Santo’s counterattacking style may take advantage of Villa’s wastefulness in front of goal.
The parallels between the two sides have prompted a startling revelation from Villa manager Unai Emery, who was speaking to the media about Forest this week.
Unai Emery describes Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest as ‘rivals’.
Emery praised Forest’s start to the season, saying: “Forest have always been a respectful team for us. They are now our competitors since they have the same number of points as Aston Villa.
“They’re having a terrific season. We played there [City Ground] last season in different conditions and lost, so I am aware of the obstacles we will confront tomorrow.”
While both teams are based in England’s midlands, there is no long-standing or competitive rivalry between them.
For Espirito Santo and Forest, however, statements like these demonstrate the team’s improvement. Being regarded a threat by one of the teams who qualified for the Champions League last season demonstrates that this season’s strong start is not a fluke.
Forest can target Aston Villa’s primary weakness on Saturday.
Espirito Santo and the Forest squad can capitalize on their home advantage to defeat their self-proclaimed opponents.
As Emery said, Forest defeated Aston Villa in their most recent meeting at the City Ground, which may have influenced a Villa side that has struggled away from home this season.
Villa have only won two away games since August, defeating Fulham and losing to Tottenham and Chelsea in recent times.
They also lost at Anfield, which is particularly noteworthy given that Forest defeated Liverpool away from home this season.
Meanwhile, Forest hasn’t lost at home since September, giving them a great opportunity to pick up points against Villa and acquire some breathing room in the race for European football.
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