For the first time since 1914, Aston Villa recorded 11 successive wins across all competitions, and John McGinn’s first Premier League brace guided Unai Emery’s side to a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park, Softfootball reports.
Eager to bounce back after their 4-1 defeat to Arsenal ended an 11-game unbeaten run, Villa started on the front foot and almost struck inside two minutes. Ollie Watkins was gifted an early opening when Morgan Rogers blocked Neco Williams’ attempted clearance, but Forest goalkeeper John Victor reacted brilliantly, sticking out a boot to keep the effort out.
Villa continued to dominate possession and territory, forcing Forest deep into their own half. Emiliano Buendía saw a shot blocked before it could trouble Victor, while the visitors struggled to build any sustained momentum. Forest did threaten on the half-hour mark when Nicolás Domínguez created space for Omari Hutchinson, whose curling effort was palmed away by Emiliano Martínez.
The pressure finally told just before the interval. Watkins picked up the ball outside the box and unleashed a powerful strike that flew in despite Victor getting the slightest touch, sending the hosts into the break with a deserved lead.
Villa wasted little time after the restart in extending their advantage. Just four minutes into the second half, Matty Cash delivered a low cross from the right, and McGinn arrived ahead of Nikola Milenković to sweep home a clinical first-time finish.
Forest offered a response around the hour mark when Morgan Gibbs-White latched onto a through ball and delicately lifted his finish over Martínez to halve the deficit. However, any hopes of a comeback were swiftly extinguished. Victor raced off his line in an ill-judged attempt to intervene, allowing McGinn to skip past him and roll the ball into an empty net to complete his brace and restore Villa’s two-goal cushion. The Forest goalkeeper was forced off injured shortly after.
Martínez was later called into action again to deny Gibbs-White, but Villa remained in control as they saw out the closing stages with little alarm. The victory lifts Emery’s side into second place, three points behind the league leaders, and underlines their ability to respond after setbacks.
For Nottingham Forest, the defeat extends a worrying run of form, with this marking their fourth consecutive league loss following a 1-2 defeat to Manchester City and 1-0 loss to Fulham, leaving them just four points above the relegation zone.
After the game, Aston Villa via its official X handle, shared the reactions of its players to the massive three points won at home as they head into the dressing room. They posted:
After the setback against Arsenal, Villa’s emphatic response underlines their resilience and growing title credentials, while Forest face mounting pressure as their slide continues.
