Aston Villa continued their sensational run of form with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, thanks to quickfire goals from Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen. The win marks Villa’s eighth consecutive triumph across all competitions and propels them to sixth place in the Premier League with 51 points.
In a match loaded with Champions League implications, Villa struck twice in the opening 15 minutes. Morgan Rogers opened the scoring in style in the 13th minute, calmly slotting the ball through goalkeeper Matz Sels’ legs after a pinpoint lofted pass from Youri Tielemans. Just two minutes later, Donyell Malen doubled the lead, tapping in a low cross from Ian Maatsen as Villa Park erupted.
“We have got all nine points from the past three matches and it’s very important that we are reducing the distance to the teams in front,” said Villa boss Unai Emery. “Good to win today but there’s still work to do. Our objective is to get Europe again through the Premier League.”
Despite Villa’s dominant start, Nottingham Forest mounted a strong second-half response. Jota Silva pulled one back for the visitors in the 57th minute with a composed finish past Emi Martinez, and Forest pressed hard for an equaliser. They fired off 13 second-half shots and came agonisingly close in stoppage time when Murillo’s thunderous 25-yard strike rattled the crossbar.
“We started the game really bad, we were not organised,” admitted Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo. “But we were better in the second half, we put up a big fight.”
Marcus Rashford nearly sealed it for Villa in added time, but his chipped effort was expertly denied by Sels, who again reacted quickly to punch the ball clear.
Emery was pleased with the result, noting the high expectations he has for his team: “Very happy with the victory. Very demanding of myself to improve things within… I am happy because we have three points more.”
The win tightens the race for European qualification, with Forest — who had been unbeaten in their previous four league matches — remaining in third with 57 points. Meanwhile, Villa have turned Villa Park into a fortress, now unbeaten at home since October 30 and having won 17 of their last 25 home fixtures.
Villa now turn their attention to Europe as they prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday — a historic showdown as the club continues to chase silverware on multiple fronts.
