Aston Villa 4 Nottingham Forest 2: Hosts win thriller to tighten grip on top-four as visitors slip into relegation fight
ASTON VILLA have a dozen games left to negotiate to secure a Champions’ League spot.
There are bound to be plenty of twists and turns on the road – certainly if this roller-coaster of a game is anything to go by.
But one thing is no longer in doubt.
Unai Emery’s impressive side certainly wouldn’t look out of place in Europe’s blue riband event.
This trampling of Nottingham Forest took Villa five points clear of Tottenham in the chase for fourth place.
And in this mood the brilliant Brummies look well capable of bursting Ange’s-ball!
Manchester United believed they could make up ground on Villa after winning here recently.
But Erik ten Hag’s men continue to shoot themselves in the foot and dropped a clanger to fall eight points behind Emery’s boys today.
Meanwhile Villa continue to motor on, fraying their fans’ nerves as they continue to tick off their remaining matches.
They looked to be in easy street as they sped into a three-goal lead here within 40 magical minutes as Ollie Watkins and a Douglas-Luiz double left Forest reeling.
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But Moussa Niakhate gave the visitors hope with a goal on the stroke of half-time.
And when Morgan Gibbs-White grabbed a second for a reshuffled Forest within three minutes of the restart Villa looked vulnerable – especially as they had lost their influential defensive kingpin Pau Torres at the break.
However Emery’s men continue to churn out results even in adversity and Leon Bailey soothed tattered nerves when he pounced to restore Villa’s two goal lead just beyond the hour mark.
Make no mistake this was a test of their bottle and they didn’t flunk it, despite that wobble either side of half-time.
Villa’s 17-game unbeaten run in the top flight at Villa Park had come to a shuddering halt recently with back-to-back defeats to Newcastle and Manchester United.
They were also knocked out of the FA Cup at home to Chelsea.
That hat-trick of defeats in 2024 came as a jolt as they were only beaten four times in 27 games in front of their own fans in 2023.
But last week’s away win at Fulham had restored confidence and Villa roared out of the traps, determined to get back to winning ways at home.
They were rewarded with a goal inside the first five minutes.
Leon Bailey created the first brilliantly as he nutmegged Murillo, then passed through Felipe’s legs to pick out Ollie Watkins for the simplest of tap-ins.
That goal took the England striker’s tally to 14 goals and 10 assists, level with Mo Salah as the Premier League’s most prolific pair.
They doubled their lead just before the half-hour with a knife-through-butter move which was certainly Champions’ League worthy.
Matty Cash and Bailey combined and the Jamaican fed Jacob Ramsey who turned and laid off to Luiz who slid the ball beyond Matz Sels.
The Brazilian was at it again 10 minutes later heading John McGinn’s cross beyond Sels from six yards to notch his ninth Premier League goal of the season.
Forest didn’t know what had hit them but they climbed off the canvas to deliver a sucker-punch blow on half-time.
Morgan Gibbs-White’s corner was headed across the face of goal by Taiwo Awoniyi and Niakhate chested the ball over the line.
Villa’s elegant defender Pau Torres failed to appear after the break and was replaced by Callum Chambers.
Meanwhile Nuno Esperito Santo went for broke with three substitutions, replacing his defensive pairing of Murillo and Felipe, as well as his striker Awoniyi.
They were replaced by Divock Origi, Harry Toffolo and Andrew Omobamidele and there was an instant pay-off for Forest who made it 3-2 within three minutes of the restart.
Origi clipped the ball through to Gibbs-White who had stolen in on Chambers blindside and with Matty Cash playing him onside, the Forest skipper kept his cool to dink the ball beyond Martinez.
Game on! As Villa wobbled Elanga passed up a snip to equalise, shooting wide before Tielemans smacked the base of the Forest post.
But this Villa side has substance and they not only survived, they added to their lead to take the game beyond Forest.
Youri Tielemans pounced on a stray pass from Omobamidele and fed Watkins who was blocked by Sels, but Bailey followed up to slot into the gaping net.
Villa have opened up a healthy gap and worryingly for Spurs and United, they look capable of maintaining it.
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