Aston Villa marked their return to winning ways in emphatic fashion, defeating a struggling Nottingham Forest 3-1 at Villa Park on Saturday. The result, spearheaded by Ollie Watkins on his 250th club appearance, extends Villa's remarkable home winning streak to 11 games and piles further misery on their beleaguered visitors.
Milestone Man Makes His Mark
The match was billed as a celebration for Watkins, and the in-form striker did not disappoint. He broke the deadlock in first-half injury time with a superb 20-yard strike that flew into the top corner, marking his fourth goal in three festive period fixtures. Villa had dominated possession but found a resolute Forest defence difficult to penetrate until Watkins' moment of quality.
Forest goalkeeper John Victor had earlier denied Watkins from close range inside two minutes, but could do nothing about the opener. The goal proved a pivotal moment, swinging momentum firmly in favour of Unai Emery's side.
McGinn Double Seals the Deal
Any hopes of a Forest fightback were quickly dashed after the interval. John McGinn doubled Villa's lead just three minutes into the second half, powering home a 12-yard finish after good work from Matty Cash.
To their credit, Forest found a route back into the contest just after the hour mark. Morgan Gibbs-White, left unmarked, latched onto Ola Aina's pass and produced a clever lofted finish over Emiliano Martinez. The goal offered a brief glimmer of hope, but it was swiftly extinguished by a moment of calamity from the visitors.
Forest's Costly Error and Deepening Troubles
In the 73rd minute, a disastrous error from goalkeeper John Victor gifted Villa their third. Rushing out to meet a through-ball, he completely missed his clearance, allowing McGinn to curl into an empty net from 35 yards. The goalkeeper injured himself in the process, compounding a miserable afternoon for Sean Dyche's team.
The victory moves Villa back into second place in the Premier League table, at least temporarily, and opens a significant 12-point gap over fifth-placed Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification. For Nottingham Forest, the picture is bleak. This fourth consecutive defeat represents their worst run in the top flight since late 2023, a period that cost former manager Steve Cooper his job. The result leaves them mired in relegation trouble, with a crucial trip to fellow strugglers West Ham on Tuesday now looming large.
