Aston Villa warmed up for their Champions League quarter-final showdown with Paris Saint-Germain by eking out a 2-1 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park.
Rotating his resources before facing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals, Unai Emery oversaw a fabulous first half in which his players were evidently all auditioning for starts in midweek.
Morgan Rogers's slick opener and Donyell Malen's close-range finish had the hosts two goals to the good by the 15-minute mark, although the half-time introduction of Jota Silva breathed new life into the visitors.
The Portuguese pulled one back for the visitors to spark a frenetic end-to-end contest, but after surviving a monumental scare when Murillo's long-range effort crashed the woodwork, the hosts emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins.
Aston Villa have now moved to within one point of the top four in the Premier League table, albeit having played a game more than Chelsea and Manchester City, while Forest stay third but missed the chance to move within two points of Arsenal.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
© Imago
A clash between two former European champions bidding to return to their glory days lived up to the billing and then some, especially in a second-half spectacle where the pendulum continued to swing.
Emery's Villa were all over Forest like a rash in the first half, where the absences of Ola Aina, Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi hit a striker-less Garibaldi side hard, and Santo's back three were being ran ragged constantly.
The Lions' first-half display was even more applaudable when considering that this was not their first-choice starting XI on the pitch, but whatever Santo said to his troops at half time had a galvanising effect, and Villa faced several warning shots before Jota's response.
Forest were not starved of chances late on either, but the finest of margins went against them, and the visitors could have easily lost by more had Villa not shot straight at Matz Sels on a few too many occasions.
Nevertheless, the Lions are now unbeaten in 15 straight home games in the Premier League and will head to Paris next week with a spring in their step, while Forest's third-placed destiny is still in their own hands despite another setback on the road.
ASTON VILLA VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST HIGHLIGHTS
Morgan Rogers goal vs. Nottingham Forest (13th min, Aston Villa 1-0 Nottingham Forest)
The ball from Youri Tielemans 😍
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 5, 2025
The touch and finish from Morgan Rogers 😍 pic.twitter.com/l5qb1ptSmI
What a pass, what a finish! Villa take a short free kick inside their own half, and Tielemans pings a delightful ball over the top to Rogers, who is played onside by Nikola Milenkovic.
The England international takes a wonderful touch with the outside of his boot and sends Villa ahead with a fine finish through Sels's legs.
Donyell Malen goal vs. Nottingham Forest (15th min, Aston Villa 2-0 Nottingham Forest)
Donyell MALEN! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/bDMCU0ko2j
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 5, 2025
Looks like Emery will have the best kind of selection dilemmas for Paris Saint-Germain next week; both Ian Maatsen and Malen have made their cases to start against the French champions!
The former turns Ryan Yates inside out with some brilliant footwork on the left-hand side before firing a low cross into the six-yard box, where Malen gets across Neco Williams and cannot miss at the back post.
Two in two minutes for Villa!
Jota Silva goal vs. Aston Villa (57th min, Aston Villa 2-1 Nottingham Forest)
"SUPER sub!" 🔃
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 5, 2025
Jota Silva pulls one back for Nottingham Forest, game on! 👊 pic.twitter.com/WMYoSgxRJC
No less than Forest deserve at the start of this second half, although their response came about in slightly unorthodox fashion!
Williams's delivery to the penalty spot is about to reach Elliot Anderson, but Jota takes it off his teammate as he shapes to shoot and manages to find the far side of the net himself.
The Portuguese would have risked Anderson's wrath had he missed, but his bold decision pays dividends, and the visitors are back in the battle.
MAN OF THE MATCH - YOURI TIELEMANS
© Imago
A genuine contender for the Premier League's Team of the Season? The terrific Tielemans continues to run the show in the heart of the Villa midfield and was the standout performer in Saturday's tight battle.
The Belgian's assist for Rogers was a thing of beauty and one of four accurate long passes he made on the day, but a shout-out also goes to Sels, whose six saves kept Forest in with a chance of nicking a late point.
ASTON VILLA VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST MATCH STATS
Possession: Aston Villa 53%-47% Nottingham Forest
Shots: Aston Villa 17-19 Nottingham Forest
Shots on target: Aston Villa 8-3 Nottingham Forest
Corners: Aston Villa 4-4 Nottingham Forest
Fouls: Aston Villa 7-15 Nottingham Forest
BEST STATS
Morgan Rogers' goal against Nottingham Forest takes his tally up to 13 for the season in all competitions.
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 5, 2025
That's more than he managed to score in his previous four seasons combined (12) 👏 pic.twitter.com/HxDsSAYq75
Aston Villa have won seven consecutive games in all competitions for the first time as a top-flight side since March 1981 (7).
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) April 5, 2025
Check out all the best stats from their 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest here👇https://t.co/FZEXdDN4K3 pic.twitter.com/n8KfOgECZh
WHAT NEXT?
Villa's Emery have just three full days to prepare for their most glamorous fixture in recent memory, as they travel to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, before heading to Southampton in the Premier League on April 12.
As for a Forest side on course to dine at Europe's top table next season, the Garibaldi have a week to recuperate before hosting Everton at the City Ground next Saturday at 3pm.
Ben Knapton
