Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest get set to go head-to-head in an all-Premier League Europa League semi final, with the first leg taking place at the City Ground this Thursday.
The Villans have had a strange season so far, with dismal runs of form sandwiching a sensational 18-match run, which saw Unai Emery's side win 17 of them.
Meanwhile, the Tricky Trees have found life in the Premier League difficult so far this campaign, sitting 16th in the standings having had four different permanent managers so far this season.
Despite this, both sides have the opportunity to reach their first European final since the 80s via the Europa League.
Ahead of this tantalising contest, which will see two of the most historic and prestigious English sides face off, let's take a look at a current combined XI for the two teams.
GK - Emiliano Martinez
Goalkeeper is certainly one of the easier choices in this team, with two-time Yashin Trophy winner Emiliano Martinez selected over Mats Sels or John Victor.
The Argentine, who has been central to his nation's recent international successes, has had a good season with the Villans, recapturing some of the form which earned him the title of the world's number one.
Meanwhile, Mats Sels had lost his place to John Victor earlier this season, though the Brazilian injured himself after making a calamitous error in Forest's 3-1 loss at Villa Park in January.
RB - Matty Cash
With two solid options at right back, this selection comes down to form over the course of this season, with former Forest man Matty Cash just getting the nod.
If this XI had been made 12 months ago, Ola Aina would undoubtedly have got the nod, however - when considering the seasons that these two have had - Cash gets the nod as one of Villa's players of the year.
Scoring the Villans first goal of the season - and leading them through their difficult start to the campaign - Cash has looked a much more assured right back this season, potentially saving the Villans from needing to replace him this summer.
CB - Ezri Konsa
In this XI, the plan is to compare two players directly - remember that for later - meaning that the right sided centre back slot is reserved for Ezri Konsa or Nikola Milenkovic. We've chosen Konsa.
The England international, who looks set to play a big role for his country at the upcoming World Cup this summer, has been a consistent member of this Aston Villa side for a number of years, scoring in both legs of their quarter final win over Bologna.
Milenkovic is another who's form has curtailed after a sensational season last campaign, with the Serbian defender having struggled under all four of Forest's managers in 2025/26.
CB - Murillo
On the left side of defence, Brazilian defender Murillo - who is set to miss the first leg on Thursday night - pips Spanish defender Pau Torres to make this team as the first Forest representative.
While Pau may have the slight edge on ball playing ability, Murillo's defensive work stands well above the former Villareal man, making him a much more rounded centre back.
LB - Neco Williams
With Aston Villa lacking a clear-cut starting left back, Welsh defender Neco Williams takes up the last defensive spot in this team.
Fresh off scoring a screamer in the 1-1 draw between these two sides a couple of weeks ago, Williams has been in fine form this season, while Ian Maatsen and Lucas Digne have failed to nail down a starting spot in their side.
DM - Boubacar Kamara
This is where things begin to become difficult.
As mentioned previously, this team is built of like-for-like comparisons, meaning that the defensive midfield spot is between Boubacar Kamara and Ibrahim Sangare.
As arguably Villa's best player, Frenchman Kamara gets the nod, as the player in the Premier League with the highest win percentage this season - at 82%.
CM - Youri Tielemans
Now onto the controversial pick.
The format of this XI creates a head-to-head battle between two of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world.
We've gone with Youri Tielemans over Elliot Anderson in this position, with the experienced Belgian making a significant impact following his return from injury last month.
While Anderson has been tipped to make a move to a club competing among the elite, Tielemans has been competing and performing well on the biggest stage for the majority of his career. Tielemans edges it. Just.
RM - John McGinn (c)
As we move to the more attacking positions, Villa's club captain John McGinn enters the team and retains the armband in this side.
With neither team playing with traditional wingers, McGinn beats fellow 'wide midfielder' Omari Hutchinson to a starting berth in this XI, with the Scotsman having one of the seasons of his career.
It's no coincidence that Villa's recent upturn in form has coincided with the return of their talismanic leader, with the former Hibs man registering four goal contributions since mid-March.
AM - Morgan Gibbs-White
Moving onto the attacking midfield role, Morgan Gibbs-White is the obvious choice, beating Emiliano Buendia to this XI.
While Buendia has had a solid season of output, Morgan Gibbs-White not only eclipses the Argentine's numbers, but also has a much better all-round game.
LM - Morgan Rogers
On the left side of the attack, again fulfilling more of a 'wide midfield' position is England starter Morgan Rogers.
Rogers, who only joined Villa in January 2024, has established himself as one of the world's premier young talents, earning himself the PFA Young Player of the Year award last season.
While his form has ebbed and flowed throughout this season, his overall level has still been much higher than his competition off the left hand side in Callum Hudson-Odoi.
The former Chelsea starlet follows the pattern of Forest players struggling to replicate their form from last campaign, despite matching his goal contribution tally from the 2024/25 season.
ST - Ollie Watkins
With five underperforming strikers to choose from, Ollie Watkins gets the nod up front, following a run of form that has seen him score seven goals in his last 10 matches across all competitions.
Tammy Abraham, who signed for the Villans in January, has yet to hit the ground running back a Villa Park, after being restricted to mostly cameo appearances.
Whilst Lorenzo Lucca, another January arrival, has struggled for game time with the Tricky Trees and Chris Wood has had a season plagued by injuries.
Watkins' main competition comes in the form of Igor Jesus, who is the current Europa League top scorer on seven goals, though the Brazilian has just five league goals this campaign.
