Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Picks and Prediction for Saturday September 12 2026

Aston Villa hosts Nottingham Forest at Villa Park in Birmingham on Saturday, September 12, 2026, with kickoff scheduled for 10:00 AM ET. Both clubs enter Matchweek 4 searching for their first Premier League victory of the season. Aston Villa is currently around +110 on the moneyline, with Nottingham Forest around +260 and the draw at +250. The total is set at 2.5 goals, with the Under around -110. Check out our free soccer picks throughout the Premier League season.

Aston Villa Still Searching for Its First Goal

Aston Villa's opening three league matches have produced a troubling offensive pattern. Villa opened with a 4-0 defeat at Brighton, followed that with a 1-0 home loss to Arsenal and then played Hull City to a scoreless draw. That leaves the hosts without a Premier League goal through three matches.

There was at least some improvement against Arsenal, when Villa remained competitive throughout a narrow defeat. The subsequent scoreless draw at Hull, however, reinforced the concern surrounding the attack. Villa has now played 270 league minutes without scoring.

The encouraging part of this matchup is the venue. Villa Park has been favorable to Aston Villa in recent meetings with Forest. Villa defeated Forest 3-1 there in Premier League action in January and then produced a 4-0 home victory in the second leg of their Europa League semifinal in May.

Nottingham Forest Has Been Difficult to Break Down

Nottingham Forest enters with two points from three league matches. Forest began with a 1-0 home loss to Leeds before producing a much more encouraging 2-2 draw at Liverpool. The club then played Tottenham to a scoreless draw in its most recent Premier League appearance.

Holding Liverpool to a draw at Anfield stands out as Forest's best performance of the young campaign. Forest has also now conceded just once across its last two league matches, suggesting its defensive organization is beginning to settle.

The offensive side remains the bigger concern. Forest has scored only twice in three league games, with both goals coming in the Liverpool draw. Considering Villa's own problems producing goals, this has the profile of a match where one breakthrough could determine the outcome.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Picks and Prediction

Pick: Aston Villa Moneyline (+110)

This isn't a comfortable favorite, but Aston Villa +110 offers enough value to back the home side. Villa's inability to score through three league matches is concerning, yet Forest hasn't exactly been creating a high-powered attack either. Villa has also been considerably better in recent home meetings with Forest, including 3-1 and 4-0 victories at Villa Park in 2026. Home field becomes the separator in what projects as a tight matchup. Take Aston Villa +110.

Pick: Under 2.5 Goals (-110)

The total is the stronger angle. Aston Villa hasn't scored in any of its first three league games, while Forest has scored only twice. Villa's last two matches finished with one combined goal, while Forest just played Tottenham to a 0-0 draw. Neither side has shown enough consistent attacking production to justify expecting an open game. Take Under 2.5 goals.

Final Picks: Aston Villa Moneyline (+110) and Under 2.5 Goals (-110)