Nottingham Forest under Nuno Espirito Santo present a specific tactical problem for Aston Villa on Sunday 12 April. Understanding Forest's approach reveals the challenges Emery must solve. Forest's likely approach at The City Ground: Direct, physical first line: Forest will press Villa's build-up aggressively from the first minute, using their physical forward line to apply pressure on Pau Torres and the Villa centre-backs. The goal is to prevent Villa from playing out from the back and force long balls that Forest can contest aerially. Set-piece dominance: The City Ground's compact dimensions make set pieces even more dangerous than usual. Forest are above-average from corners and free kicks. Villa's defensive set-piece organisation will be tested early. Counter-attack through pace: Forest's wide forwards have genuine pace on the transition. If Villa's full-backs push high, the wide counter-attack becomes Forest's most reliable route to goal. Villa must balance their attacking ambition with defensive protection. Back four compact and narrow: Forest defend with a compact 4-4-2 that makes it difficult to play through the centre. Villa will need to use Watkins' movement to drag the line before playing into Rogers or Bailey. Villa's counter: Watkins' runs in behind the high defensive line. Pau Torres driving from deep to bypass the first press. Duran off the bench to exploit tired legs. 📅 Sun 12 Apr, 05:00 UTC | The City Ground 🏆 GW30 | Forest's Blueprint