Key occasions
24 minutes: This all feels somewhat acquainted … Forest must regain their composure. Cooper was sad with a problem on Yates within the field earlier than the purpose however there was nothing in it.
GOAL! Nottingham Forest 1-1 Aston Villa (Younger, 22)
WHAT A HIT! Prepare dinner heads the ball out to Younger, who takes a contact and completely pings a low shot into the underside nook from 25 yards out.
19 minutes: Aurier slides in on Ramsey and is rightly booked for a reckless problem. It seems just like the defender went in with two ft off the ground. There’s a fast VAR test and the yellow card is seen as an appropriate punishment. Aurier actually is a legal responsibility at instances.
17 minutes: Forest should be sure they’re much less open than in earlier losses at Metropolis Floor once they took the lead towards Bournemouth and Fulham earlier than shedding.
GOAL! Nottingham Forest 1-0 Aston Villa (Dennis, 15)
Gibbs-White swings within the free-kick from the best onto the pinnacle of Dennis who’s left unmarked and nods house from seven yards out. Big second for Forest however they’ve given up leads earlier than.
14 minutes: Johnson cuts inside and sends a cross into the field however Dennis is nowhere to be seen and Villa clear. Dennis does higher seconds later as he’s fouled by Mings on the best to present Forest a free-kick in a harmful space.
13 minutes: Coutinho whacks the free-kick straight into McKenna’s face which is nice information for Forest however much less so for the defender.
12 minutes: Buendia bursts via Freuler and Kouyate, and is fouled by trouble of them round 25 yards from purpose. Coutinho and Douglas Luiz line it up …
10 minutes: When defending it seems like Johnson and Gibbs-White are taking part in as auxiliary full-backs. Cooper actually is making an attempt to make Forest tougher to interrupt down tonight.
8 minutes: Forest not providing something within the remaining third. Dennis is but to the touch the ball.
Money breaks down the best however his cross is fairly woeful and finally ends up going out for a throw-in on the alternative facet.
6 minutes: Buendia is on the deck after a midair conflict with Freuler. Seems to be just like the Argentinian has sore ribs following the incident.
4 minutes: Buendia seems to slip a ball via for Watkins however he’s cleaned out within the course of by a late foul from Toffolo. The left-back is fortunate to get away with out a reserving.
Douglas Luiz takes a brief nook to McGinn whose shot is blocked. Forest look somewhat flat.
2 minutes: It’s a again 4 for Forest. Will Prepare dinner have the ability to address Watkins? They’re defending with 5 throughout midfield at the moment.
Kick-off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Right here we go!
Cooper comes out for a spherical of applause from the followers and takes his place within the dugout.
Steve Cooper: “I used to be just lately upset with the efficiency and end result at Leicester. Having reviewed it, it was far-off from what we wish.
“There’s been some sturdy conversations and reflections, which have come from the gamers as properly. That’s how we prefer to work.
“I make no secret that we do have numerous new gamers, so we’re looking for the best mix and group. What I’ll say about modifications, it offers alternatives and when you’re given them, it’s important to take them.”
“The sight of gamers like Henderson and Lingard within the squad is a reminder that this membership received two European Cups with loads of ‘rejects’ with some extent to show in Clough and Taylor’s groups,” emails Justin Kavanagh. “Might Kouyaté be the subsequent Kenny Burns? These days are most likely gone but it surely’s good to see a coach get an opportunity to not less than attempt to construct a brand new group.”
I believe Burns arrived with the perfect years forward of him, I’m not positive the identical might be mentioned of Kouyate.
A brand new face on the Metropolis Floor. How palms on will Filippo Giraldi be? It is going to be attention-grabbing to see what he has deliberate.
Like a few of the readers, I’ve very nice recollections on Monday nights in Nottingham, as Martin can verify.
It’s 5 modifications in whole which is an indication of how powerful Cooper has discovered it to nail down a beginning XI following the inflow of gamers. It’s attention-grabbing to see that Lingard is on the bench for this one – he has actually regarded off the tempo since arriving on a free. The costly gamble seems a poor one in the mean time.
Matty Money is again the place it began.
I’m guessing it is going to be a 4-3-3 for Forest as a result of Cooper may use Kouyate as a centre-back and stick with it with simply two central midfielders however this method has not labored within the Premier League following its success final season.
Some attention-grabbing Forest group information as a result of Dennis makes his full league debut, Aurier is most well-liked at right-back, Steve Prepare dinner retains his place and it seems like Cooper is adopting a three-man central midfield.
Beginning lineups
Nottingham Forest (4-3-3): Henderson; Aurier, Prepare dinner, McKenna, Toffolo; Kouyate, Freuler, Yates; Gibbs-White, Dennis, Johnson
Subs: Hennessey, Boly, Worrall, Williams, O’Brien, Mangala, Lingard, Awoniyi, Surridge
Aston Villa (4-3-2-1): Martinez; Money, Konsa, Mings, Younger; McGinn, J Ramsey, Douglas Luiz; Buendia, Coutinho; Watkins
Subs: Olsen, Sanson, Ings, Chambers, Bednarek, Dendoncker, Archer, Bogarde, Nakamba
Preamble
What one other week it has been on the Nottingham Forest Premier League rollercoaster. After their 4-0 thumping at Leicester final Monday it regarded like Steve Cooper’s days on the Metropolis Floor have been numbered. They’ve sounded out replacements however in the long run Cooper signed a brand new contract, a lot to the shock of many in Nottingham. When not looking for a brand new head coach, the membership have been additionally coping with claims that their chief govt and the recruitment group have been getting their marching orders, which transpired to not be true.
Forest have 4 factors from eight video games after their summer season of signing nearly a whole new squad. In the event that they beat Villa this night, nonetheless, they are going to solely be one level behind Steve Gerrard’s facet within the desk. Admittedly, Forest have misplaced their previous 5 matches so it’s a powerful however they achievable job forward of them.
Villa come right here because the sideshow, few remembering what an earth they’ve performed just lately resulting from circus at Metropolis Floor. They’re unbeaten for the reason that finish of August and shall be optimistic of extending that run towards the league’s backside membership.
Let’s hope for a cracker!
Kick-off: 8pm BST