Aston Villa secured their seventh consecutive victory, overcoming a second-half scare to edge out Champions League hopefuls Nottingham Forest 2-1, moving up to sixth place in the Premier League.
Unai Emery made eight changes to the starting lineup after their impressive 3-0 win at Brighton, with Villa just days away from a crucial Champions League quarter-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain. However, you wouldn’t have known it, as Villa came out strong, with Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen scoring in the first 15 minutes. Rogers and Youri Tielemans, the only outfield players retained in the lineup, combined for the first goal, followed quickly by the second just two minutes later. Forest, missing key defenders Ola Aina and Alex Moreno, struggled defensively while playing with five at the back.
Forest managed to pull a goal back through substitute Jota Silva just before the hour mark, but they couldn’t capitalize on the momentum shift. The absence of injured strikers Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi was keenly felt, as their attacking options lacked bite. Despite firing off 12 shots in the second half, only one of them was on target, with defender Murillo coming closest to an equalizer in stoppage time, his powerful 25-yard strike hitting the crossbar.
Villa held firm to secure their seventh straight win in all competitions, with a tough schedule ahead. They now face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, followed by crucial league matches against Newcastle and Manchester City, and a FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley.
Now sixth, only behind Manchester City on goal difference, Villa are peaking at the perfect moment, while Forest’s first-half defensive mistakes proved costly. Morato was caught off guard by the opener, fiddling with his shinpads as Villa capitalized, and Neco Williams failed to track Malen for the second goal.
Nottingham Forest, still in third place, remains in the hunt for a Champions League spot, though they will be wary of Chelsea, who could narrow the gap to just two points with a win over Brentford. Villa, currently six points behind, will also be looking to keep their momentum going.
