Aston Villa applied pressure on the race for European football as Unai Emery’s side edged past high-flying Nottingham Forest at Villa Park, despite making eight changes to the team.
Villa won the game early on as Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen scored within two minutes of each other to blow the visitors away.
Forest woke up after the quickfire double and caused the hosts numerous problems throughout the tie as Nuno Espírito Santo’s side got themselves back into the game, with halftime substitute Jota Silva giving them hope. However, through a combination of luck and Emiliano Martínez, the hosts were able to hold out for all three points.
As it happened
Villa started the brightest and their first chance came courtesy of Ian Maatsen, when he played a one-two with Marco Asensio. The Spaniard provided an elegant backheel back to the Dutch full-back who advanced towards goal and tested Matz Sels.
Another Villa chance came early on as Andrés García sent a teasing ball into the area for Asenio, whose effort flew wide of the post. Forest had not got into the game and they were made to pay in the 13th minute.
A short free kick was played to Youri Tielemans on the halfway line and he spotted Rogers making a run in behind. The Belgian picked out the in-form attacker, who took the ball in his stride before firing across Sels and into the bottom corner. That was just the start for Villa as Forest were caught cold once again two minutes later.
Embed from Getty ImagesMaatsen was direct down the left flank and drove at Ryan Yates, before turning him inside out and sending the ball across goal for Malen to tap home from close range. In an instant, Emery’s men were flying at Villa Park, however chances would soon fall to the visitors.
Forest’s widemen in Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi both had agonising misses within close proximity of one another. Elanga was inches away from scoring a carbon-copy of his winner against Manchester United in the week, as the Swede evaded García and motored towards Axel Disasi, before fashioning some space to fire wide of Martínez’s post.
The Villans nearly shot themselves in the foot soon after, as Yates intercepted Rogers’ pass and found Hudson-Odoi, who advanced into the area before aiming agonisingly wide of the post. Chances came at a premium for the rest of the half, as both sides settled into a rhythm before the midway point of the fixture.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Tricky Trees came out a different side for the second period and created two excellent chances to get back into the tie. Initially, Morgan Gibbs-White clipped a ball into the area for Hudson-Odoi and the winger teed up Neco Williams, who blasted wide.
A minute later, Hudson-Odoi was found down the left-channel and drove into the area before shifting onto his favored right-foot and bending his effort around the post. However, it was third time lucky for the visitors in the 57th minute.
Substitute Silva had initially struggled to get in the game and picked up a booking, but he’d soon fire Forest back into the game. A cross came in looking for Elliot Anderson but Silva stole the ball off his feet and let fly on the spin beyond Martínez into the bottom right corner.
Embed from Getty ImagesForest tails were up and Anderson should have levelled on the hour mark as Hudson-Odoi advanced into the area and picked him out arriving late, only to slice his effort just wide.
Rogers then got the better of Murillo when the defender misjudged the flight of a ball up field and advanced forward. Rogers opted to go alone but Sels made an excellent save to keep the Forest in the game.
Nuno’s side still pressed for an equaliser as livewire Silva had another opportunity, receiving the ball in the box and firing wide of the target.
Williams should have hit the target heading into the final ten minutes as he worked himself forward into a shooting position on the right hand side of the box, but he fired across goal and past the post.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn the first minute of stoppage time Murrilo nearly scored a screamer from 30 yards, as his thumping effort cannoned off the woodwork.
Marcus Rashford had a late opportunity to kill the game, but Sels was equal to him and reacted to his dinked effort, as the hosts held out for all three points at Villa Park. The result sees Villa rise up to sixth, level on points with Manchester City and only a point behind fourth-placed Chelsea. Forest remain third on 57 points.
Up next for Emery is a return to former club Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday evening, while Nuno’s side host David Moyes’ Everton next Saturday.
The lineups
AVI: Martínez; García, Disasi, Mings, Maatsen; Onana, Tielemans; Malen, Asensio, Rogers; Watkins
NFO: Sels; Morato, Murillo, Milenković; Williams, Yates, Anderson, Domínguez; Gibbs-White, Elanga, Hudson-Odoi
