Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest: Unai Emery at risk of setting unwanted English football history

Aston Villa could set unwanted English football history when they play Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.

Unai Emery and his squad are on a high after recording a 3-2 victory over Club Brugge in the Champions League earlier this week.

However, it has been a different story in the Premier League, with Villa failing to beat Brighton & Hove Albion, Arsenal and Hull City.

Furthermore, the West Midlands outfit have also failed to score a single goal in the 2026-27 top flight.

Heading into the showdown with Forest this weekend, Emery could become the holder of an undesired piece of history.

Villa started the 2025-26 campaign by failing to score in their opening four matches, a feat that they are on course to match.

If they fail to net against Forest at Villa Park, they will become the first team in English football history across the top four divisions to not score a single goal in their opening four games in consecutive seasons.

That said, Emery will take confidence from that fact that Villa have defeated Forest in the last six Premier League fixtures to be held at Villa Park.

The only time that they have ever recorded seven successive home wins against the same opponent in the Premier League was versus Derby County between 1996 and 2007.

Nevertheless, Oliver Glasner holds the impressive record of having never lost to Emery's Villa in the Premier League, recording three wins and two draws as Crystal Palace boss.

Neither of these teams have recorded a top-flight win in 2026-27, Villa sitting in 18th position in the Premier League table with Forest one point above them in 16th spot.

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