Ahead of Nottingham Forest’s Premier League showdown with Aston Villa, Nuno Espirito Santo has expressed his admiration for Unai Emery and his side. The two managers have a long history of facing each other, dating back to their La Liga days when Nuno was at Valencia and Emery managed Sevilla. Now, with both teams sitting on 25 points and separated by just one goal in the standings, Nuno is gearing up for another challenging encounter against his seasoned rival.
“I’ve known Unai for a long time,” said Nuno. “We’ve been facing each other for over a decade, and I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a top manager, and you can see that in the way Villa play.” Nuno went on to praise Villa’s tactical discipline, both defensively and in attack, as well as their ability to control possession. “Villa are a very well-coached team, and it will be a tough challenge for us,” he added.
Villa’s recent Champions League success, including a notable win against RB Leipzig, hasn’t gone unnoticed by Nuno, who acknowledged the quality within Emery’s squad. “They’ve got a lot of quality across the pitch, with international players who can make a difference. Defensively, they are well-organized, and going forward, they are very dangerous,” said Nuno. “We’ll need to be at our best to get anything from this game.”
Despite the challenge, Nuno also sees a potential opportunity for Forest. With Villa having played midweek in Europe, Nuno pointed out that Forest will have more time to prepare. Villa has struggled in recent seasons after Champions League matches, failing to win any of their last four games following European fixtures. “We’ll have more time to recover and prepare, which is an advantage for us,” Nuno noted. “Although Villa had a short turnaround, I don’t think three days is enough to make a significant difference in their performance.”
Nuno added that Villa’s involvement in the Champions League marks the beginning of a new cycle for the team. “It’s only the start of their European campaign, so the effects of playing midweek will likely accumulate over time,” he explained. “We’ll see how they handle it, but right now, it’s an opportunity we must be ready to seize.”
