Shearer makes ‘not pretty’ admission as Aston Villa v Nottingham prediction made
Alan Shearer is excited for the Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Aston Villa will host Forest in one of the most exciting fixtures of the weekend as the two top-four contenders go head to head at Villa Park on 5 April.
Unai Emery’s side go into the game looking to extend their winning streak across all competitions to seven games, while the Tricky Tees have won each of their last five matches.
The encounter at B6, therefore, is guaranteed to be an entertaining one, with Villa having the opportunity to reduce the gap with third-place Forest to six points.
Shearer predicts Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest result
Like most fans, Shearer is also looking forward to seeing two of the most in-form teams in the Premier League lock horns with each other this weekend.
The Premier League icon has particularly been blown away by how Nuno Espirito Santo has taken Forest so high up the table despite their playing style being described as “not pretty”.
| Team | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goal Difference | Points |
| 3. Nottingham Forest | 30 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 57 |
| 7. Aston Villa | 30 | 13 | 9 | 8 | -1 | 48 |
He has been so impressed by the Tricky Trees that he expects them to claim all three points at Villa Park on Saturday.
“What a game this is – Forest, playing the way they do, they did it again when they played Manchester United in midweek, got the result”, Shearer wrote in his column on the Betfair column. (4 April).
“They sat deep and weren’t interested in having a lot of the ball – it worked again for them as it has throughout the season.
“It’s not pretty, but you have to get the best out of your players and find a system which suits them.
“They’ve got some really talented players to hit teams on the counter-attack, and I think they’ll do that again. I’ll go for an away win.”
Emery eyeing silverware
Aston Villa are set for a busy but exciting end to the season as they remain active in the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League apart from the Premier League.
Having booked a place in the FA Cup semi-finals, Emery will be optimistic about his chances of leading Villa to a trophy this term.
There is also a belief that the Birmingham-based club can go further in the Champions League, having been drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.
However, finishing in the top four of the Premier League will still be a top priority for Aston Villa.
The Villans are currently four points behind fourth-place Chelsea and will be hopeful of leapfrogging the three teams above them by the end of the season.