Credit: Imago

James Barker

Sat 11 April 2026 6:30, UK

Ollie Watkins has won three of the four Premier League games he’s faced against Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Mats Selz, as he looks to fire Aston Villa to three points on Sunday.

Watkins hasn’t had his best season in an Aston Villa shirt, with just 12 goals scored and two assists provided in 44 total appearances.

As such, the 30-year-old knows he will have to end the season in strong form if he’s to stand any chance of making Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for this summer’s World Cup.

However, with three goals in his last two games, Watkins is in a real rich vein of goalscoring form at the moment, and could well be primed for a bumper final few weeks of the campaign.

Aston Villa take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday afternoon, knowing that three points is a must if they are to start consolidating their position in the Premier League’s top four.

What is Ollie Watkins’ record against Matz Sels?

Watkins scored against Nottingham Forest in their earlier meeting this season, with Villa’s number 11 netting once in the 3-1 win at Villa Park on 3 January.

And, with three-straight wins in all competitive games, Emery’s side along with Watkins are in excellent form right now.

Standing in Watkins’ way on Sunday will be Forest goalkeeper Sels, who despite probably having a slightly poorer season than last year, is still a proven and quality shot-stopper in the top flight.

The 34-year-old Belgium international has kept a clean sheet in both of his last two league games against Tottenham and Fulham respectively, and won’t be an easy wall of defence to breach this weekend.

However, as detailed by Transfermarkt, the Villa striker does have an impressive record against Sels when facing off against one another in the Premier League.

Indeed, Watkins has played against Sels four times in the top flight, winning three of those and losing just the once.

In that time, he’s scored twice in a total of 173 minutes spent on the pitch against Sels, with the Forest goalkeeper failing to ever keep a clean sheet in the times where he’s been on the same pitch as Watkins against Villa in the league.

So, with the kind of goalscoring form Watkins is in, paired with Villa’s current winning run, there is plenty of evidence that points towards the form repeating itself on Sunday between these two.

What is Watkins’ overall record against Nottingham Forest?

Forest and Villa have played out some brilliant games of football in the Premier League over the last few years, with their meetings routinely having goals on the agenda.

Indeed, each of their last four top flight games have seen a minimum of three goals scored, with the full-time scores reading 3-1, 2-1, 2-1 again and 4-2 in that time respectively.

So, how much individual success has Watkins had when playing against Forest? Well, he’s enjoyed a solid return of three goals from seven Premier League games against them in his career, with four of those ending in wins.

However, he has only scored once in his last three matches with them, so he’s perhaps overdue another one when the two get together on Sunday.