How Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest can break the Big Six dominance and change into a part of the brand new elite

Nottingham Forest will watch with envy as Aston Villa line up against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, dreaming of similar Champions League duels next season.

But Villa are just as jealous of Forest’s position in the Premier League, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s third-placed side edging their way towards a top-five finish that is likely to secure a spot in Europe’s premier club competition. Even after Villa beat Forest 2-1 on Saturday, there is still a six-point gap between the clubs.

Yet if seasons like these are to become typical rather than exceptional for these clubs, decisions taken off the field are just as important as those made on it.

Villa Park was buzzing on Saturday, as it has been all season. The City Ground is no different. The team bus is cheered on arrival, fans unveil spectacular tifos and today’s results evoke memories of the period between 1979 and 1982, when these clubs combined to win three of the four European Cups on offer.

In modern football, winning matches is only part of the equation. To stay near the front of the pack, Villa and Forest must answer some tricky questions about their stadiums.

Under former chief executive Christian Purslow, Villa had plans to increase the capacity of their ground above 50,000 and enhance the area around Villa Park to generate revenue outside matchdays.

Aston Villa took a huge three points in the top four race with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest

Despite the defeat, Nottingham Forest are also edging closer to a top five finish that is likely to secure a spot in the Champions League next season, sitting in third place with 57 points

To stay near the front of the pack, both clubs must answer some tricky questions about their stadiums. Pictured: Villa Park ahead of Saturday’s clash with Nottingham Forest

That project would have meant playing with a reduced capacity of 36,000 for two seasons to allow building work to proceed – which did not appeal to boss Unai Emery. The Spaniard and his entourage believed the move risked diluting home advantage.

So the plan now is a smaller-scale version of Purslow’s idea: to expand the stadium piecemeal, while enhancing fan zones and the club shop and offering more hospitality options. That should boost Villa’s financial firepower, but not by enough.

The club know their best revenue-generating tool is player sales, which leaves little margin for error in the transfer market. Eventually, selling a key man every year catches up with you. Villa could probably bank close to £100million if they allowed Morgan Rogers to leave this summer, yet finding an affordable player who makes the same impact is hugely difficult.

Forest know this, too. They could find a buyer for Morgan Gibbs-White tomorrow, but not a suitable replacement.

That is why owner Evangelos Marinakis is looking to Brazil, where he is thinking of investing in a lower-division club, as well as establishing an academy. Forest believe this will give them an edge in one of the world’s most lucrative and competitive markets.

That is only part of the story. Even though it is probably the best atmosphere in the league, the City Ground holds only about 30,000 – not enough to support Marinakis’ ambitions.

‘What we need to do is have a bigger stadium,’ said Marinakis last September. ‘We have a lot of supporters and a huge waiting list for season tickets and I’m sure a 50,000-seat stadium will be full watching our team and our passion.

‘That is where the team belongs and where the tradition is. It’s most important for the town of Nottingham and this is something I want to be able to finalise and for the years to come to have one of the best stadiums in England.’

The City Ground holds about 30,000, despite boasting one of the best atmospheres around

The stadium is not enough to support the ambitions of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis

Aston Villa previously had plans to increase the capacity of their ground above 50,000 and enhance the area around Villa Park to generate revenue outside matchdays

Though Forest hope to start work in summer 2026, there are still hurdles to clear, and Forest retain the option of building an entirely new home elsewhere – as unpopular as that would be initially with their supporters.

As Tottenham have found since they left White Hart Lane in 2017, a club can build the best stadium in the world but it takes years to recreate the feel of their old home.

Try as they might, clubs like Villa and Forest feel the dice is loaded against them. They have billionaire owners but lack the revenue-generating strength of Manchester United or Liverpool, meaning they are restricted by Premier League spending rules.

It will take many years to build the commercial appeal of those clubs worldwide, even if Villa win the Champions League this year and Forest the FA Cup.

In the meantime, these Midlands giants will concentrate on trying to smash the glass ceiling. Villa decided to go all-in on one of the world’s best coaches – Emery is paid north of £10m a year – and give him everything he wants. It remains a risk but so far it is paying off handsomely, with Villa still in the hunt on three fronts.

Forest committed everything to staying up in their first season after promotion and have improvised brilliantly since. Hiring Nuno was a clever move and the low-cost signings of Murillo, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Nikola Milenkovic and Anthony Elanga have proved inspired.

While they try to upgrade in every area, these clubs’ only option is to keep up the good work during training and matchdays. Rebuilding is so much easier when undertaken from a position of strength.