EPL: Aston Villa Defeat Nottingham Forest 3–1 as Aina Makes Comeback

Aston Villa returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday with a convincing 3–1 victory over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park, bouncing back from their midweek loss to Arsenal and moving up to second place on the table.

Unai Emery’s side dominated proceedings from the outset on a cold afternoon in Birmingham and were rewarded just before the break when Ollie Watkins fired Villa ahead. The England forward collected a pass from Morgan Rogers outside the box and struck home clinically, marking his fourth goal in three matches.

Villa doubled their advantage early in the second half through John McGinn, who calmly side-footed into the net in the 49th minute after a well-delivered cross from Matty Cash. The goal put the hosts firmly in control as Forest struggled to cope with Villa’s intensity and ball possession.

Nottingham Forest briefly found hope in the 61st minute when Morgan Gibbs-White produced a delicate chipped finish over Emiliano Martinez to reduce the deficit. However, any momentum the visitors gained was short-lived.

Villa restored their two-goal cushion in the 73rd minute following a costly error by Forest goalkeeper John Victor, who rushed out unnecessarily to challenge for a long ball. McGinn capitalised on the mistake, keeping his composure to sidestep the keeper and score into an empty net from distance, sealing his second goal of the match.

The win preserves Villa’s formidable home record, extending their winning run at Villa Park to 11 matches since their defeat to Crystal Palace in August. It also eases concerns raised after their 4–1 loss to Arsenal earlier in the week, which had ended their 11-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.

Villa now sit on 42 points, three behind league leaders Arsenal and one point ahead of Manchester City. Arsenal face Bournemouth later on Saturday, while City host Chelsea on Sunday.

For Nottingham Forest, the defeat leaves them hovering just above the relegation zone. They remain one place clear of the bottom three, four points ahead of West Ham, who are in action later in the day. Nigerian defender Ola Aina returned to action for Forest in the encounter, marking his comeback despite the disappointing result for his side.