Nottingham Forest 2 Aston Villa 0
Steve Cooper’s side welcomed in-form Aston Villa to the City Ground as they looked to build on performances to start giving their fans something to celebrate at home. It was a cauldron of noise at the ground that sits right on the banks of the River Trent.
Forest quickly turned defence into attack as they put the visitors on the back foot but Dominguez’s effort from outside of the box was never troubling Martinez, who had this week been crowned the best keeper in the world.
Cooper’s side quickly broke again with the rapid pace and close control of Elanga, with no way forward he laid it off to Toffolo whose vision found Aina on the edge of the box. His first-time strike, caught sweetly, nestled into the bottom corner of the goal.
The City Ground erupted as the Forest defender got his first ever goal for the club. Unai Emery’s side seemed stunned by the start the hosts had made. They needed to try and find a way back into this game sooner rather than later.
Credit: @NFFC
Villa worked the ball forward and Diaby found Zaniolo in space at the back post but his effort was well blocked Vlachodimos in the host’s goal. A big chance for Aston Villa went begging but Forest did what they needed to do to snuff out the attack.
Forest came forward once again and their fit again striker Awoniyi was bundled to the ground and as the referee blew his whistle, the home fans celebrated it like a goal. They were to be disappointed when they noticed he was awarding a free-kick for offside and not a penalty.
Aston Villa came out of the traps in the second half and Ollie Watkins had his first sight of goal, albeit from a tight angle, and forced the Nottingham Forest keeper into a smart save at his near post. It was a save you would expect him to make in all fairness.
As the hosts came forward, the ball was played back to Mangala, who was encouraged to shoot by the fans. He duly obliged and as Martinez bizarrely tried a one-handed save, he palmed it straight into the air and towards goal.
Martinez leapt to his feet and tried to regather the ball but it was clear that it was behind the line and the goal was given. Best keeper in the world? You could name a handful just in the Premier League better than the Villa keeper.
That is the Ballon D’Or for you. More a popularity contest than a true award of performance. How Erling Haaland did not win that is shocking but then in a World Cup year, this just seems to be an extension of the FIFA awards for tournament performances.
Credit: @premierleague
With forty minutes of the game remaining, Aston Villa had plenty of time to turn this game around. They just did not seem at the races however and it was Forest who seemed more likely to add another.
McGinn played a cute chip into the box, perfectly onto the head of Ollie Watkins. Unbelievably, the England striker got such a feint touch to the ball that it dropped harmlessly wide of the Nottingham Forest goal.
Villa were starting to play some good football and as they worked it to an unmarked Lucas Digne at the back post, his side-footed effort went about ten feet over the crossbar. The perfect metaphor for the visitors’ performance overall.
Credit where it is due, Forest’s style of play seemed to prevent them from playing their normal game. Steve Cooper has to be commended for the way he set his side up and they took all three points which should give them confidence for games to come.
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