The next nine days represent the most demanding stretch of Aston Villa's 2025-26 season. Sunday 12 April: Nottingham Forest away. Premier League. Three points keep the top-four position strong. Thursday 17 April (approximately): Bologna away. Europa League quarter-final first leg. Villa need a positive result to control the tie. Emery's preparation schedule across these nine days will be a masterclass in coaching organisation. Days 1-3: Full focus on Forest. The City Ground is a specific environment that requires specific preparation — compact defensive shape when Forest press, exploiting their high defensive line with Watkins' runs. Days 4-5: Transition. Brief recovery from Forest. Begin installing the Bologna-specific tactical plan. Different opposition, different competition, different psychological requirements. Days 6-7: Bologna intensive preparation. Italiano's tactical patterns are well-known to Emery — they were in the same competition last season. The specific vulnerabilities will be identified and exploited. Days 8-9: Final preparation for Bologna. Travel. First leg. Villa's squad depth makes this possible. Emery's organisational quality makes it effective. Nine days that could define Villa's entire season. 📅 Sun 12 Apr (Forest) | Thu 17 Apr (Bologna) | Nine Days 🏆 GW30 + EL QF | Villa's Biggest Week