For a season of so many zeniths and dreams, it has been quite the week of doom and gloom for Aston Villa and their manager Unai Emery. Three defeats on the spin, including a wretched home defeat to Tottenham on Sunday, is glaring in its pecularity when you consider their position in the table (fifth, on course for Champions League qualification) and their impressive run in Europe.
Yet the contrast to tonight’s visitors, Nottingham Forest, is stark. Vitor Pereira – Forest’s fourth manager this season – is riding high on a five-game winning streak, the last of which came on Monday as a second-string side dismantled Chelsea in west London, to put them a step closer to Premier League safety. Forest are unbeaten in 10, dating back to mid-March. The Portuguese coach has made quite the impact.
