Aston Villa 4 Nott'm Forest 2
Unai Emery’s side welcomed Nott’m Forest with the visitors looking to do a league double over them for the first time in 40 years. Up until recently, Villa Park had looked a fortress but lately it has begun to resemble an old Norman grass fort, which you could walk in and out of as you please.
The visitors however made the worst start possible. Bailey was able to walk through the defence and square the ball to put it on a plate for Watkins to tap into an empty net. It seemed like it could be a long day for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
Watkins had another chance soon after but as he looked to drill it into the far corner, the defender managed to hack the ball clear, with his keeper beaten. Unai Emery’s side looked up for this game and were ready to put the visitors to the sword.
Tielemans then found Bailey who did a neat stepover before firing a shot at goal from a tight angle. Sels managed to save with his feet to prevent the hosts doubling their lead. One thing was for sure, the keeper was going to earn his salary today.
Credit: @premierleague
It did not take long before Villa were pressing again. Ramsey did well to feed the ball into the path of Douglas Luiz, who side-footed the ball into the far corner to make it two-nil. Forest were beginning to look like a rabbit in the headlights whenever Emery’s side came forward.
Aston Villa were in rampant form, McGinn twisted and turned out wide, before clipping a cross into the box. Luiz was there again to head home and the stadium erupted. This was the free-flowing football we had seen earlier in the season from the Midlands side.
Deep into added time, the visitors came forward for a rare attack. As Gibbs-White swung in a corner, Awoniyi headed it back across goal for Niakhate to chest the ball home from a yard out. It stunned the home faithful, this wasn’t in the script at all.
Elanga ran forward just after the break and as he stumbled the ball broke to Origi. The former Liverpool striker played a deft pass into the path of Gibbs-White who lifted it past the oncoming Martinez to get Forest right back into this game.
Forest then created another superb chance as the ball was played into Elanga but he dragged his shot well wide of the goal when he really should have been testing the Villa keeper. It was an opportunity to turn a game on its head that had looked like it was going to be a landslide earlier.
Emery’s side came forward and Moreno beat Williams in the box before he found Tielemans in the centre of the goal. He looked to pass it into the bottom corner but his effort struck the foot of the post. Close but no cigar for the hosts.
Credit: @premierleague
They did not have to wait long however as Tielemans found Watkins in the box. Being the striker he is, he had nothing on his mind apart from scoring but Sels made a good block. The ball broke to Bailey, who had the simple task of side-footing it into an empty goal.
After Forest had worked so hard to get back into this game, you wondered whether the fourth goal would put this game to bed for Aston Villa. With just under half an hour remaining, there was still plenty of time left for anything to happen.
Gibbs-White lifted a free kick into the box, where he found Yates unmarked. The midfielder took it on the volley but sliced it well wide of the goal. It was another chance where players of this calibre should be doing far better with the finish.
Aston Villa held on for all three points, despite the brief scare from the visitors. At one stage this game looked like it was going to be a hiding for Forest but the hosts could not drive home their advantage. Most importantly, Emery’s side further cemented the position in fourth place in the Premier League with Man Utd losing.
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