Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest on Thursday in the most significant home game the club has staged in decades.
- Villa need to score twice to reach the Europa League final in Istanbul on 20 May
- Kick-off is at 8pm BST, live on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max from 7pm
- Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White is a doubt after suffering a deep cut at Chelsea on Monday
- Villa have won their last nine European home fixtures, scoring in 31 of the last 32
What is at stake. A generation’s worth of waiting
Both clubs have not reached a major continental final since the early 1980s.
Villa beat Bayern Munich to win the European Cup in 1982. Forest won back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980. Neither has been in a major final since.
Thursday night at Villa Park offers one of them the chance to end that wait, with Istanbul on 20 May the prize for whichever side progresses. The winners face either Braga or Freiburg in the final.
Villa trail 1-0 from the first leg after Chris Wood converted a penalty following Lucas Digne’s handball in the 68th minute. A 1-0 victory for the hosts would take the tie to extra-time. Any wider margin sends them to Istanbul outright.
Numbers that give Villa belief
The statistics heading into Thursday’s second leg are genuinely encouraging for Emery’s side.
Villa have won their last nine European home fixtures: an extraordinary run of domestic continental dominance. They have scored in 31 of their last 32 European home games.
Furthermore, they beat Forest 3-1 at Villa Park in January’s Premier League fixture, demonstrating their ability to dominate the same opposition on home soil.
Emery’s personal record adds further reassurance. The Spanish manager has not lost a two-legged UEFA Europa League tie in 14 years, progressing from 22 consecutive knockout rounds since his last exit. Villa are also unbeaten in ten home games against Forest since 1994.
Forest’s danger. A 10-game unbeaten run
Forest arrive in outstanding form. Vitor Pereira’s side are unbeaten in ten matches: a run that includes seven wins and a stunning 3-1 victory at Chelsea on Monday.
That result moved Forest six points clear of the Premier League drop zone and confirmed a revival that even their own supporters could not have anticipated when the Portuguese manager took over in February.
Chris Wood scored the first-leg penalty and will lead Forest’s attack on Thursday. Igor Jesus, who has the most shots, shots on target, and away goal involvements in this year’s competition, provides a constant aerial and technical threat alongside the New Zealand international.
Forest have lost just one of their last 13 knockout ties after winning the first leg. The context demands Villa’s very best.
Gibbs-White doubt. Villa’s significant boost
Forest’s single biggest concern heading into Thursday concerns their captain and talisman.
Morgan Gibbs-White suffered a deep cut requiring stitches after colliding with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez on Monday.
Pereira confirmed he is “hoping for magic” from his medical department to get the England international fit in time. His absence would remove Forest’s most creative and dangerous attacking threat entirely.
Forest are also without Ola Aina, Ibrahim Sangaré, Murillo, Nicolo Savona, Callum Hudson-Odoi, John Victor, and Willy Boly. Dan Ndoye remains a doubt.
The defensive and attacking depth available to Pereira is being stretched significantly at the worst possible moment.
Team news. Villa’s key men return
All of Villa’s first-choice players are expected to return after Sunday’s heavily rotated defeat to Tottenham.
Ollie Watkins, four Europa League goals this season, leads the attack. John McGinn missed Sunday with a minor muscular problem but should be available.
Amadou Onana’s calf strain means his involvement remains uncertain. Ross Barkley is ineligible. Boubacar Kamara is still sidelined.
Morgan Rogers has been directly involved in five goals from six home European appearances this season: a record that makes him Villa’s most potent threat in this specific context.
Predicted Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Luiz, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins.
Predicted Nottingham Forest XI: Ortega; Abbott, Milenković, Morato, Williams; Hutchinson, Dominguez, Anderson, Gibbs-White; Jesus, Wood.
Referees: Glenn Nyberg (SWE) Referee; Jérôme Brisard (FRA) Video Assistant Referee.
Views from both camps
Matty Cash was composed and confident in his assessment. “I know we lost the first leg but it wasn’t a bad result. We know how good we are at home. Forest will know it will be a completely different game.”
Forest’s Chris Wood acknowledged the difficulty. “It’s nice to have the advantage but we know going to Villa Park it’s going to be a tough game. They’re good at their place.”
Pereira, meanwhile, paid Emery the ultimate compliment: “He is a top manager. I’m very competitive and that’s why I like to be here competing with this kind of manager.“
Nine consecutive European home wins. A wounded but dangerous Forest. A generation’s worth of waiting. Thursday night at Villa Park is everything.
