Aston Villa will be aiming to narrow the gap to Nottingham Forest to just six points when they face off at Villa Park on Saturday evening in the Premier League.
Unai Emery's team convincingly beat Brighton 3-0 at the AMEX Stadium on Wednesday, moving up to seventh place. Forest also secured a win in their midweek match, defeating Manchester United 1-0 at the City Ground.
The last encounter between the two sides ended in a 2-1 victory for Forest back in December, setting the stage for what should be an exciting game on Saturday.
Team news
Villa's midfielder Ross Barkley is the only player with injury concerns, dealing with a calf problem, while Ollie Watkins was on the bench in the previous game as he works on his fitness.
With Marcus Rashford performing well, Emery might opt for an unchanged starting lineup.
Forest's striker Chris Wood is uncertain for the upcoming match due to a hip injury that kept him out of the last game against Manchester United. However, midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White overcame a knock and featured in the midweek fixture.
The stats
Villa have recorded six consecutive wins across all competitions, with clean sheets in five of those matches.
Emery's team have lost just one of their last 11 games and remain unbeaten in their last 16 home matches.
Forest are on a six-game unbeaten streak, which includes two successful penalty shootouts in the FA Cup.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side boasts the third-best away record in the Premier League, accumulating 26 points from 15 away fixtures.
Prediction
The outcome of Saturday's game could have significant implications for European qualification, as both teams are in contention if they maintain their current form.
Despite the absence of Wood, Forest have impressed by reaching the FA Cup semi-finals and defeating Manchester United.
While Forest have shown resilience in their recent games, they might face a tough challenge against Villa who have been scoring freely. Villa's recent signings like Marco Asensio, Donyell Malen, and Rashford have started to make an impact.
Expect a closely contested match, but Villa hold the advantage in what is a crucial game for both sides.