Why Victor Lindelof has key role to play for Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest again

Aston Villa will be calling on Victor Lindelof against Nottingham Forest once again.

The Reds are set to travel to Villa Park on Saturday for a Premier League meeting.

Oliver Glasner is still waiting for a first competitive win in charge after a summer move to the City Ground.

Unai Emery is in a similar boat as he awaits his side's maiden domestic victory of the campaign.

Both sides have struggled for form to start the season, so small differences could have a telling say on the result.

Lindelof could prove to be massively important in this B6 clash, just as he was in the last meeting between the two sides.

What happened do last time out vs Nottingham Forest?

It is crazy to believe that the last time this fixture played out was the Europa League semi-final.

So much has happened since then in claret and blue.

Villa went on to lift silverware in Istanbul, but they had to beat Forest first.

A 4-0 win made sure of that as Ollie Watkins, Emi Buendia and John McGinn all found the net.

The hosts dominated as they created 2.74 expected goals with their 18 shots and three big chances.

Forest were reduced to just two shots on target and had 13 less touches in the opposition box than the Villans.

That lack of activity from the away side was thanks, in part, to the work of Lindelof in the middle of the park.

Victor Lindelof can help Aston Villa to victory vs Forest

It has been all change since that night as nine of the 16 players involved have since departed B6.

The Sweden international makes up part of the 43 per cent who have stuck around.

That has seen him form a key part of Emery's defence to start the new campaign, but last time out against Forest, he starred in midfield.

Lindelof was surprisingly thrown in and featured across a pretty stellar 74 minutes.

He completed 27 passes, chipped in with three defensive actions and won 100 per cent of his ground duels.

He may have had a zero per cent long ball success rate, but that was a minor blotch on a top showing.

The 31-year-old received a standing ovation at Villa Park and is now looks set to start against the Reds once again in Saturday's meeting.

If he does, it seems likely that he's going to play a key role as just one of very few players left to have experience against them.