Villa's Winning Streak Continues with 2-1 Win Over Forest

Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 at Villa Park, strengthening their top-four push and closing the gap to the top teams in the Premier League.

Nottingham Forest were uncharacteristically poor in the opening stages, but they began to show glimpses of their quality midway through the half. Anthony Elanga embarked on a mazy run from inside his own half, flashing an effort narrowly wide of the post. Callum Hudson-Odoi then wasted a similar opportunity just moments later, highlighting Forest's struggles to capitalize on promising attacks.

Forest's efforts to challenge Aston Villa intensified in the second half. Neco Williams was the first to try his luck, curling wide when space opened up for him in the area. Hudson-Odoi repeated the feat in almost identical circumstances minutes later. However, this brief reprieve for Villa was short-lived, as Forest's advantage was cut in half when half-time substitute Jota Silva's deflected effort nestled into the bottom corner.

Forest were uncharacteristically poor in the opening stages, but they began to show glimpses of their quality midway through the half. Anthony Elanga embarked on a mazy run from inside his own half, flashing an effort narrowly wide of the post. Callum Hudson-Odoi then wasted a similar opportunity just moments later, highlighting Forest's struggles to capitalize on promising attacks.

Forest's efforts to trouble Villa's defense increased in the second half. Neco Williams was the first to try his luck, but he curled wide when given space in the area. Hudson-Odoi repeated the feat in almost identical circumstances minutes later. However, Villa's reprieve was short-lived, as Forest's advantage was cut in half when half-time substitute Jota Silva's deflected effort nestled into the bottom corner.

The momentum of the game shifted dramatically after Forest cut Villa's lead in half. Just minutes later, Elliot Anderson's effort curled inches away from the far corner, highlighting Forest's growing confidence. In response, Unai Emery made a triple substitution in an attempt to stem Forest's flow. However, it was one of Villa's key players, Morgan Rogers, who had a chance to re-establish a two-goal cushion but was denied by Matz Sels' legs after some impressive work that left two Forest defenders for dead.

Emery's substitutions helped to shore up Villa's defense, but Forest continued to push forward. Neco Williams was offered a gilt-edged chance, flashing an effort across the face of goal that had Emiliano Martinez worried. Despite Murillo crashing an effort against the crossbar in stoppage time, Forest were unable to deny Villa a seventh successive victory in all competitions. This win could prove crucial for Villa ahead of their midweek Champions League clash away to PSG, where they will look to build on their momentum.