Andy Madley has been confirmed as the referee for Aston Villa’s Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest at Villa Park this Saturday. This update, published on 17 September 2026, brings the fixture preview in line with the latest officiating appointments and the current state of both clubs’ seasons.
H2: Updated match official lineup for Villa Park clash
The Premier League has confirmed the full officiating team for Saturday’s game. Andy Madley takes charge as referee, supported by assistant referees Constantine Hatzidakis and Richard West.
Oliver Langford is the fourth official. In the VAR booth, Tim Wood will review incidents with Will Finnie serving as assistant VAR.
H2: Aston Villa return to domestic action after European victory
Villa go into this match on the back of a 3-2 Champions League win over Club Brugge on 12 September. That result gave Unai Emery’s side an early boost in Europe before their attention swings back to the Premier League table.
The turnaround between competitions is tight, and Villa fans will be watching closely to see how much of that European momentum carries into a league campaign that has yet to click into gear. Some of that squad depth stems from a busy summer, and our piece on rebuilding the spine of the squad covers how the group was reshaped ahead of this season.
H2: Both sides seeking first Premier League win of the season
Neither Aston Villa nor Nottingham Forest has won in the Premier League yet this term, which adds real weight to Saturday’s fixture. Both clubs will see it as a chance to open their account and settle early-season nerves.
Villa’s recent league form has also come under scrutiny after the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents panel ruled that Ian Maatsen should have conceded a penalty and received a second yellow card during the club’s last outing against Arsenal. That decision has fed into wider debate about the standard of officiating Villa have faced this season, even before Saturday’s appointment was confirmed.
H2: Who is the Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest referee?
Andy Madley is the referee for Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Saturday. He is joined in the VAR booth by Tim Wood, with Will Finnie assisting as VAR.
According to FotMob’s current referee data, Madley averages roughly 3.4 yellow cards and 22.7 fouls per match this season. Those figures give supporters a rough guide to how strictly the game might be officiated, though they are not a guarantee of how Saturday’s fixture will unfold.
Madley has plenty of Premier League experience, and his appointment fits a pattern of officials rotating through the division’s biggest games each weekend. Nothing in his record points to any bias for or against either club; the numbers simply reflect his overall approach to game management this season.
H2: What happens next
Kick-off at Villa Park is set for 3pm on Saturday, which means the match falls under the UK’s traditional blackout rule and will not be shown live on television domestically. Supporters without tickets will need to follow build-up, team news and reaction through live text and radio coverage instead.
Beyond the officiating team, the bigger story for Villa remains turning European form into league points. Some of the debate around squad strategy links back to Emery’s approach to refreshing the squad, a theme that continues to shape expectations heading into games like this one.
For the original breakdown of the officiating appointments before this update, see our original match official report. As with any fixture, confirmed team news and any late changes to the officiating team will be added here as they emerge.
