A double from captain John McGinn and a stunner from Ollie Watkins put Aston Villa back on winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Villa were looking for a comeback after their winning streak ended at 11 against Arsenal in their previous game, and their unbeaten run at Villa Park extended to eight games, temporarily moving them past Manchester City into second place in the Premier League, and it was the perfect remedy.
It was a frustrating afternoon for Villa, who had 79% possession in the first half but only had one shot on target, but just before the break Ollie Watkins fired a powerful shot into the top corner.
The striker, who had responded to a slow start to the season with four goals in three games, missed a golden chance to put Villa ahead after just two minutes, but with an expected goal value of 0.61xG, he rectified this mistake with a long-range attack and broke the deadlock.
Ollie Watkins celebrates opening game against Nottingham Forest
Captain John McGinn scored the hosts’ second goal soon after the restart, but Morgan Gibbs-White pulled one back for Forest just after the hour mark, dampening the team’s momentum and the atmosphere at Villa Park.
However, any hopes of a comeback ended when John Victor inexplicably darted out of his area to try to dislodge McGinn, scoring his second goal of the day from long range with the goalkeeper out of sight.
With the win, Unai Emery’s side moved 12 points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea, but Forest’s fourth straight defeat means they are one step closer to facing 18th-placed West Ham, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports on January 6.
Forest’s last trip to Villa Park in April saw the club finish third. From fighting for football’s Champions League to fighting for survival within nine months.
McGinn: “I wanted to show the reaction after Arsenal lost”
Aston Villa captain John McGinn told Sky Sports:
“We wanted to show that response after a poor result (against Arsenal). Maybe this will be the start of another 11-game winning streak.”
“We knew we had to do our best. It’s a great win for us. I’ve been trying to add more goals to my game. The coach was tough on me this morning, but thankfully I managed to get two goals.”
“Now you can put your feet up and watch the game. What we’re building here is special.”
John McGinn celebrates second goal
Emery: Had to react after Arsenal lost
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery told Sky Sports.
“I’m happy with the way we responded after losing to Arsenal, but we needed to get our energy and confidence back. It’s always a question of how you get your confidence back after a loss, and we did that here at Villa Park with our supporters.”
“They play more defensively than usual, but they are competitive. We used our game plan to beat them. After Arsenal, we met and talked about the need to have the same consistency as before and see how we can come together and be stronger.”
Ollie Watkins celebrates after scoring the first goal of the match
Daichi: Player’s strange decisions hurt the game
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche told Sky Sports:
“The whole game plan was to frustrate them. We know how they play and they have very good players. It’s tough as a coach because the players did everything we asked them to do in the first half. Then the players make strange decisions. Suddenly, just before half-time, things changed.”
Nottingham Forest goalkeeper John Victor reacts as he leaves the pitch injured
“It was a simple, basic mistake. I have to say the reaction to it was great. We went further forward, took risks and scored. Then we gave away the third goal, but we all know it was a mistake. It was a difficult game. We had the spirit to keep going, but you can’t keep making basic mistakes.”
“Similar mistakes are what we have to change. We have to learn and correct when things go against us. When there are bad decisions and not enough reactions, they react faster than we do.”
A major mistake by the goalkeeper, McGinn’s double and Watkins’ impact! How Villa can beat Forest
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Ollie Watkins follows Aston Villa’s home opener against Nottingham Forest!
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John McGinn doubles Aston Villa’s lead against Nottingham Forest!
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A cool chip from Morgan Gibbs-White gives Forest a goal back!
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John McGinn punishes onrushing John Victor to secure third place at Villa!
