Villa Hold On for Dear Life as Forest Fightback Falls Just Short in Premier League Thriller

Villa Park, Birmingham

Aston Villa fans were treated to a rollercoaster at Villa Park—one that started like a dream and ended in sheer survival mode. In a clash bursting with Champions League tension, Villa survived a furious late onslaught by Nottingham Forest to seal a vital 2-1 win and keep their top-four hopes alive.

For the first 15 minutes, Villa looked untouchable. Morgan Rogers slipped through the Forest backline and slotted home with composure, before Donyell Malen added a quick second—ghosting into the six-yard box to turn in Ian Maatsen’s delicious cross.

The Holte End roared. Forest were reeling. It looked like a rout.

But the game flipped on its head after the break.

Forest, who have been the surprise package of the season, clawed back belief. Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi came close before halftime, warming up what would become a second-half siege. When substitute Jota Silva fired in a clinical finish on the turn in the 57th minute, Villa Park went from euphoric to edgy.

Villa had to weather a storm. Shots from Elliot Anderson and Neco Williams whistled just wide. Murillo sent a thunderbolt off the crossbar in the dying minutes. And Marcus Rashford nearly iced it the other way, but Matz Sels denied him with a heroic save.

Still, Villa held on—somehow.

It’s a massive result for Unai Emery’s men, who are now just a point off Chelsea in fourth, with momentum swelling before a European showdown with PSG in the Champions League quarterfinals. From an FA Cup semi-final berth to league scalps over Brighton and Forest in a single week, Villa are suddenly looking like a team with serious silverware ambitions.

Forest, meanwhile, will be ruing their start. They were far too flat early on, paying the price for a sleepy opening that left them with a mountain to climb. But to their credit, they nearly scaled it.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side may have left empty-handed, but they showed why they’ve earned the respect of every top team this season. Brave, bold, and unrelenting—they’ll be back, and stronger for it.