- Nottingham Forest 1-1 Aston Villa FT
- Murillo (OG, 23′), Williams (38′)
Aston Villa were forced to settle for a frustrating 1-1 draw against a resilient Nottingham Forest side at the City Ground on Sunday.
Despite a frantic late surge that saw Unai Emery’s men carve out several golden opportunities in the closing stages, the visitors were unable to find the decisive breakthrough required to secure all three points.
While Villa dominated large stretches of possession, particularly during their trademark patient build-up play, they were ultimately left to rue a lack of clinical edge in the final third.
The contest was defined by its frantic first half, which saw Murillo’s unfortunate 23rd-minute own goal cancelled out by a thunderous near-post strike from Neco Williams.
Shortly after, Ollie Watkins was played into the box by Rogers, but was denied by Sels. Initially he was flagged for offside however, replays showed he was onside.
As the end of the first half drew nearer, Roger struck the bar with a powerful effort, before losing possession on the edge of his box. It led to Neco Williams’ rocket to pass Marco Bizot at his near post to equalise.
In the second half, Villa seemed to have lost their rhythm. They were unable to find the space they were offered in the first 45, and they struggled to make inroads into the Forest defence.
The Reds were applying pressure onto Unai Emery’s side and forced Bizot to make a sharp save after a deflection off Matty Cash.
Down the other end, McGinn almost found the far corner, but was denied by Sels. Then the biggest chance of the game fell to Rogers. Whilst just a few yards, he somehow managed to blast the ball over the bar after the Belgian in goal parried Ross Barkley’s effort.
Watkins had a great chance in the 79th minute, but similarly to Rogers he could not find the target. The game then petered out to a close all square.
Villa will be frustrated by their performance, as Forest were really there for the taking. For a side with ambitions of a top four finish, this will undoubtedly feel like two points dropped rather than one point gained, especially given the late pressure they failed to convert into a winner.
They now turn their attention to the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final on Thursday.
Here are the full time ratings from our ReadAston Villa correspondent:
Marco Biozt – 6
Made four saves, all of which came in the first-half. Although Forest applied pressure in the early parts of the second 45, the Dutchman wasn’t tested. His long-ball distribution wasn’t very good, with just 3/11 successful long balls. Overall, it was a quiet 90 minutes for Bizot.
Matty Cash – 6
The Polish international had an average game. After going into the book early on due to his poor first touch, Cash didn’t have a lot to do defensively. Going forward, he linked up well with John McGinn, and at one point, it looked like Villa’s most threatening option.
Victor Lindelöf – 7
As one of two changes to Unai Emery’s starting XI, Lindelöf had another really solid performance. He was composed in possession, and cleaned up when he needed to. The Swede has been a shrewd signing for Villa this season.
Pau Torres – 7
Had the most passes in the game with 71, and began the passage of play that led to Villa’s opener. As always, he moved the ball effectively and, like his centre-back partner, did his job defensively. Pretty solid all around.
Lucas Digne – 7
The Frenchman played a delightful first-time pass to find Rogers’ run in behind Forest’s defence, which led to Murillo turning the ball into his own net. He had a bright Omari Hutchinson to deal with for the majority of the game, which he did so successfully. Like all of his teammates in defence, he was quite reliable.
Amadou Onana – 7
Probably the brightest of the midfield pivot, Onana put in a strong performance. Both on and off the ball, he was an effective player in the central area for Villa, managing to cut up Forest’s play on a number of occasions.
Youri Tielemans – 6
With his second 90 minutes in just a few days, Tielemans’ return to the league from injury wasn’t his best display. Despite almost grabbing an assist and making a crucial block to deny Williams, the Belgian was a little loose in possession.
John McGinn – 8
McGinn was Villa’s best player this afternoon. He seemed to make the right decision every time he had the ball, and his customary spins were on show. The Scot almost put the Villans in the lead on the hour mark, but it was well saved by Sels.
Ross Barkley – 6
Barkley was another player who was a bit sloppy in possession. He seemed to struggle to keep up with the pace of play at times and looked to be a little static. His effort on goal in the 65th minute nearly led to a second for Emery’s side, but Rogers failed to convert after Sels’ parry.
Morgan Rogers – 6
Rogers’ cross led to Villa’s opener, before he played a super ball into Watkins, who couldn’t find the back of the net. He gave the ball away, which led to Forest’s equaliser, and had a golden chance to put Villa ahead, but he managed to blaze it over the bar from close range. Although a slightly better showing than in the Bologna game, he still has another level he can go to.
Ollie Watkins – 6
The in-form striker had a couple of great opportunities to get his 100th goal for the club. A one-on-one shortly after Villa’s first was smothered by Sels. Then, in the 79th minute, he should have grabbed the second, but like Rogers, he couldn’t keep his shot down.
Subs:
Douglas Luiz, Emiliano Buendia and Ian Maatsen (77th minute) – 6
All three were substituted on in the 77th minute. Buendia created Watkins’ best chance in the 79th minute, and Maatsen looked sharp, but none of them really had a large impact.
Tammy Abraham (87th minute) Andres Garcia (91st minute) – N/A
Neither player touched the ball when they came on at the end of the game.
