Noel Sliney
BBC Sport

While Forest haven’t beaten Aston Villa away since 1994 and are winless after their opening three Premier League matches for the first time, Oliver Glasner might view this as the ideal fixture to bring his first victory in charge.

Glasner is kryptonite to Villa and Unai Emery, with the Austrian unbeaten in all seven meetings and with an aggregate scoreline of 19-4 in his favour – all while at Crystal Palace.

That sequence includes two victories at Villa Park during a 41-match home spell in which the Birmingham side were otherwise unbeaten.

Glasner has only ever enjoyed one longer unbeaten run against a manager, and he’s never fared better versus a counterpart without ever losing. Similarly, it’s the longest streak Emery has ever endured against another manager without winning.

The wing-back system that Glasner implemented at Palace and now Forest stretches Aston Villa’s narrow set-up, while quick and willing runners on the counter-attack leave Emery’s side vulnerable defensively.

Forest are not fully firing yet under Glasner but the Austrian has expressed his satisfaction with the club’s dealings in the summer transfer window as he configures the squad to his blueprint.

Noel Sliney
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Villa’s slow start to the current campaign has prompted comparisons with the previous one, when they didn’t score until their fifth league game but then ground out a hard-earned European victory against limited opponents.

That sparked a remarkable run of 17 wins in 19 matches. The difference this season is that, aside from the abysmal opening defeat by Brighton, Villa are at least showing an identity they lacked during the early malaise of 2025-26.

Their defensive structure has been swiftly remedied by Unai Emery, while a gradual improvement in the team’s attacking play was accelerated against Brugge on Tuesday night.

Expensive summer signings Ibrahim Mbaye and Ballon d’Or Young Talent of the Year nominee Johan Manzambi are still to come into the side too – both could make their debuts on Saturday as Villa seek to avoid becoming the first team in English league history to go goalless in their opening four games in successive seasons.

The Villans are on a run of six successive Premier League home wins against Nottingham Forest and dismantled the visitors 4-0 to reach the Europa League final when the sides last met four months ago. However, six of Villa’s starting XI that night, and nine of the 16 players used, are no longer at the club.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter at Villa Park

Oliver Glasner has had a hold over Unai Emery since he arrived in England in February 2024.

In seven games against Glasner's Crystal Palace Emery's Aston Villa managed zero wins.

That includes the Eagles' 3-0 FA Cup semi-final victory last year, en route to Glasner lifting the trophy, and 5-0 and 4-1 wins at Selhurst Park.

Palace won 3-0 at Villa Park last season and Glasner is aiming for a repeat with Forest this afternoon.

Yet you have to go back to 1994 for Forest's last win at Villa Park and they were hammered 4-0 in the Europa League semi-final second leg in May.

Former Nottingham Forest winger Paul Anderson says Oliver Glasner "has the personnel" for his wing-back system but thinks it will take time to fully click.

"I've been coaching for over five years now and I love the formation," he told BBC Radio Nottingham's Shut Up And Show More Football podcast.

"It allows you to outnumber an opposition team anywhere on the pitch.

"You've got to have the personnel to play it, though. You've got to have intelligent players that can drop in and work off each other, and your wing-backs have to be fit.

"Nottingham Forest have very strong centre-backs at the minute.

"There is always going to be a question mark over Murillo's fitness, but if he is fit and at 100% then this formation suits him perfectly. The same goes for Nikola Milenkovic - it is perfect for him.

"It also suits the midfield. It is a formation which is going to allow Morgan Gibbs-White and James McAtee more space in there.

"So they definitely have players in the squad who can do a job in this formation, it is just going to take time to come together."

This is a hard one to start with because, while Aston Villa still haven't won or scored in the Premier League, they got a good win over Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Nicolas Jackson got off the mark in that game and, although his finishing can be erratic, he's the kind of player who will mature and get better every season. I think he will do well for them.

Forest are also yet to win. I know there was controversy over Neco Williams' disallowed goal in their draw against Spurs last time out but I do think they got the decision right in the end.

This is going to be close and I am tempted to go for another Forest draw, but Villa are obviously going to score in the Premier League at some point so I'll be brave and say they will edge it.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the rest of Sutton's predictions against Dorking's Marc White here.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter at Villa Park

Ross Barkley returns for Aston Villa in their only change to face Nottingham Forest.

The midfielder is back in for the suspended Joao Gomes, who serves the final game of his three-match ban, following the midweek Champions League win at Club Brugge.

Summer buy Johan Manzambi is on the bench for the first time after shaking off a knee injury.

Aston Villa XI: Suzuki, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen, Barkley, Kamara, McGinn, Buendia, Hemmings, Jackson.

Subs: Bizot, Mings, Ruggeri, Garnacho, Abraham, Mbaye, Bogarde, Manzambi, Alysson

Daniel Munoz is given his full Nottingham Forest debut as Oliver Glasner makes two changes.

Nikola Milenkovic and Jair Cunha drop out of the squad, although both made the trip to Villa Park.

Ousmane Diomande makes his first Premier League start for the visitors.

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Diomande, Murillo, Munoz, McAtee, Schlager, Williams, Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Delap.

Subs: John; Sangare, Hudson-Odoi, Domínguez, Wood, Igor Jesus, Kalimuendo, Yates, Netz.

Pierre Sage makes three changes to the starting XI that defeated Fulham last weekend.

Dean Henderson drops out of the squad and Walter Benitez starts in goal. In front of him, Honest Ahanor replaces Jaydee Canvot in the Eagles' back three.

Jorgen Strand Larsen leads the line at Selhurst Park, replacing Eddie Nketiah.

Crystal Palace starting XI: Benítez, Khalaili, Richards, Disasi, Ahanor, Mitchell, Wharton, Timber, Pino, Kamada, Strand Larsen

Subs: Matthews, Tomiyasu, Mingueza, Doucoure, Lerma, Chilwell, Hughes, Gozo, McNeil

Gary O'Neil makes 1 change to the starting XI that lost 2-0 to Liverpool, with Jack Clarke coming in to replace Daizen Maeda.

At an average age of 26 years and 54 days, it is the youngest side that the Tractor Boys have fielded in the Premier League so far this season.

Ipswich starting XI: Scherpen, O'Shea, Diop, Greaves, Davis, Palacios, Lukic, Fatawu, Enciso, Clarke, Emersonn

Subs: Walton, Kipre, Ouattara, Florentino, Nunez, Philogene, Maeda, Akpom, Flemming

Aadam Patel
Football Reporter at Anfield

Kostas Tsimikas, Ryan Gravenberch and Victor Munoz come in as Andoni Iraola makes three Liverpool changes from the side that started against Atletico Madrid.

Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister and Rio Ngumoha make way while Cody Gakpo is back in the squad after missing out on Wednesday. There's also a first Premier League start for Bradley Barcola.

Liverpool: Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Munoz, Wirtz, Barcola, Isak.

Substitutes: Mamardashvili, Endo, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Gakpo, Frimpong, Nyoni, Koumas, Ngumoha.

Alvaro Arbeloa makes two changes for Fulham with David Affengruber coming in for his Fulham debut in place of Joachim Andersen and Sander Berge replaces Exequiel Palacios.

Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Affengruber, Bassey, Robinson: Berge, Charles, King, Bobb, Gonzalo, Iwobi.

Substitutes: Lecomte, Tete, Andersen, Larsson, Manuel Angel, Smith Rowe, Palacios, Kevin, Muniz.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport Chelsea reporter

Chelsea have dropped Maxence Lacroix to the bench for the first time this season, with Malo Gusto named in a reshuffled back line.

It is one of nine changes from the side that beat Leeds 6-3 in the Carabao Cup in midweek, although Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Reece James all came on at half-time.

It is not yet clear whether Chelsea will operate with a back three or a back four.

Chelsea XI: Martinez, Fofana, Colwill, Hato, Neto, James, Lavia, Gusto, Palmer, Rogers, Joao Pedro

Subs: Penders, Acheampong, Chavarria, Lacroix, Barco, Quenda, Estevao, Gittens, Welbeck

Hull make eight changes from their 1-0 midweek cup defeat at Sunderland.

It's the same line up that drew last weekend at home to Aston Villa with just Matt Crooks starting instead of Lucas Gourna-Douath in midfield.

Sorba Thomas, who suffered a car crash yesterday near the training ground, is name among the substitutes having come away from the accident unscathed.

Hull City XI: Tzolakis, Coyle, Ajayi, Egan, Mendy, Giles, Balloumi, Slater, Crooks, Stroud, McBurnie

Subs: Phillips, Target, Norton-Cuffy, Herrington, Gourna-Douath, Iroegbunam, Thomas, Vaz, Cho

Bournemouth manager Marco Rose names an unchanged starting line-up from the 2-2 draw at Newcastle last Saturday.

The German made eight changes for a 4-0 win against Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup but Ryan Christie, who scored a hat-trick in the midweek cup fixture, remains on the bench.

Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Truffert, Hill, Scott, Evanilson, Adams, Silva, Smith, Tavernier, Kluivert, Rayan.

Subs: Di Gregorio, Cook, Soler, Brooks, Christie, Gannon-Doak, Diakite, Toth, Rodriguez.

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews makes four changes from the 1-1 draw against Sunderland.

Jannik Schuster, Aaron Hickey, Yehor Yarmoliuk and Jaidon Anthony come into his starting line-up to replace Michael Kayode, Dango Ouattara, Mikel Damsgaard and injured Nathan Collins.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Hickey, Yarmoliuk, Schade, Thiago, Sangare, Anthony, Ajer, Lewis-Potter, Janelt, Schuster.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Henry, Ouattara, Wilson, Carvalho, Damsgaard, Diouf, Kayode, Nunes.

BBC Sounds

BBC Radio 5 Live will be bringing you three live commentaries today, plus updates from around the grounds.

• Liverpool v Fulham – 5 Live
• Chelsea v Hull City – Sports Extra 2
• Tottenham v Everton – 5 Live

On the move or busy at home? Listen live on this page, the BBC Sounds app or ask your smart speaker to ‘play 5 Live’, for example.

Sports Extra 2 and Sports Extra 3 , externalare live sport radio streams available only on BBC Sounds.

If you want to get involved in today's live text - click the yellow 'get involved' tab and send us your thoughts and we'll publish some of the best ones. Maybe some of the worst ones too...

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea forward Joao Pedro has been named the Premier League's player of the month for August.

The 24-year-old has two goals and two assists in the first three league games of the season.

Boss Xabi Alonso said he could be compared to Ering Haaland and Karim Benzema.

"If you count how many top strikers we have in the Premier League, I'm sure that Joao is there, Haaland for sure is there. So I would rate him that way," he said.

"In many things he reminds me of Benzema, because he is good in the box, he is good out of the box, he is good coming to his left side, he is good with the head, he is very complete, he is intelligent."

Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic has been named Premier League manager of the month for August.

The Tigers are unbeaten after three games and are also the only team yet to concede a goal.

"I'm very happy and very proud," the Bosnian told BBC Radio Humberside. "Being in company with all these great names and coaches is a great achievement for me.

"To win this is like a dream - somebody wake me up!

"I am very happy for all the people at the club, especially our players because without them this wouldn't be possible. This is also their award because they have shown everything on the pitch."

No lunchtime matches in the Premier League today but there are some in the EFL.

For the Championship games click here.

For Leagues One and Two go this way.

This is the penultimate Premier League weekend before a longer than usual international break.

Top-level club football in Europe basically shuts down from Monday, 21 September until Friday, 9 October.

Hello and welcome to a monster Saturday session of Premier League football.

No lunchtime fixture today which means we have five games at 15:00 BST - followed by two more matches including the infrequent 20:00 slot.

The games are...

• Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
• Bournemouth v Brentford
• Chelsea v Hull
• Crystal Palace v Ipswich
• Liverpool v Fulham
• Tottenham v Everton (17:30)
• Sunderland v Arsenal (20:00)

All times 15:00 BST unless otherwise stated