Aston Villa climbed on Saturday, temporarily, to second place in the English league after beating Nottingham Forest 3-1 at home. Forest are Braga’s next opponents in the Europa League.
Aston Villa continued their impressive Premier League campaign by beating Nottingham Forest 3-1 at Villa Park, a result that, at least temporarily, lifted Unai Emery’s side into second place on the table.
With 42 points after this round, Villa moved to within three of leaders Arsenal and one clear of Manchester City, although both title rivals still had matches to play in the same matchday, with Arsenal travelling to Bournemouth and City preparing to host Chelsea.
The game in Birmingham followed a familiar pattern for Villa at home this season: intense pressure, quick combinations in the final third, and a constant threat down the flanks. Forest arrived needing points to steady themselves after a difficult run, but they struggled to contain Villa’s rhythm and the movement of their attacking players, particularly when Watkins drifted across the line and looked for pockets of space between the centre-backs.
The breakthrough came right on the edge of half-time. After sustained pressure and several threatening moments around the box, Ollie Watkins finally found the net deep into stoppage time at 45+1. The timing of the goal was crucial, not only for the scoreline but for the psychological impact. Forest had managed to withstand Villa’s dominance for most of the first half, but conceding just before the interval forced them into a riskier approach after the restart.
Villa immediately took advantage. Early in the second half, John McGinn doubled the lead in the 49th minute, giving the home fans a surge of confidence and putting Forest in a difficult position. With Villa in control, Forest attempted to respond by pushing higher and looking for quicker transitions, trying to exploit any space left behind Villa’s midfield line. That approach brought them a lifeline when Morgan Gibbs-White pulled one back, briefly raising the possibility of a comeback.
However, any momentum Forest gained was short-lived. Villa remained composed, continued to circulate the ball effectively, and regained their grip on the match with disciplined positioning and controlled attacking phases. McGinn then struck again in the 73rd minute to complete his brace and effectively seal the three points. His contribution was decisive, combining tactical intelligence with end product, and underlined how important he has been in Villa’s push near the top of the table.
For Aston Villa, the win reinforced the sense that this is more than a short-term run of form. Their ability to manage games, respond to setbacks, and consistently deliver at home has become a defining feature of their season. The points total keeps them firmly in the race at the top end, while also maintaining pressure on Arsenal and Manchester City as the schedule tightens and the demands of the season increase.
For Nottingham Forest, the situation is becoming increasingly concerning. This was their fourth consecutive league defeat, leaving them in 17th place, narrowly above the relegation zone. The defensive fragility, the difficulty in sustaining possession, and the lack of consistent control in midfield continue to hurt them, especially against teams capable of raising the tempo as Villa did. While the goal from Gibbs-White offered a positive moment, Forest once again struggled to maintain stability after conceding, and they were ultimately punished by Villa’s quality and composure.
The defeat also comes with added relevance for Portuguese football, as Nottingham Forest are set to face Braga on 22 January in the seventh round of the Europa League. If Forest carry this league form into Europe, it could present an opportunity for Braga to target a vulnerable opponent, particularly one that is short on confidence and struggling to halt negative momentum. At the same time, European competition often offers a different context, and teams fighting domestic pressure sometimes treat continental matches as a chance to reset.
Overall, the match in Birmingham served two contrasting narratives: Aston Villa continuing to build a strong case as one of the season’s standout teams, and Nottingham Forest slipping deeper into a battle for survival, searching for a result that can stop the slide before the gap to the bottom three becomes more threatening.
Updated: 04:20, 3 Jan 2026
