Two clubs steeped in history meet this weekend, with Aston Villa hosting Nottingham Forest looking to show off their summer recruits.
Ross McCormack, Albert Adomah, James Chester, Tommy Elphick, Pierluigi Gollini, Aaron Tshibola, Ritchie De Laet, Mile Jedinak and Jonathan Kodjia all joined Roberto Di Matteo’s side this summer, and they’ll all be desperate to have an impact for their new club.
Summer signings: Our new Villans together for the first time! Good luck lads! #AVFC pic.twitter.com/ZvdoagBNuz
— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) September 9, 2016
It’s been a slow start for Villa, as they’ve picked up just five points from their opening five games of the season.
This weekend’s opponents have fared better as they sit seventh in the Championship table, as they look to secure their fourth win of the campaign.
However, with the new faces on show, there is certainly an air of optimism about the season ahead for Di Matteo and his men, and they’ll be looking to ensure that turns into positive results sooner rather than later.
With such a long way to go in the Championship this season, these nine individuals will need to use all their experience and quality to make the embarrassment and heartbreak of last year a distant memory for Villa supporters.