EPL: Nottingham Forest Hold Aston Villa to Crucial Draw

Forest snatch point in relegation scrap as Villa's streak ends

Nottingham Forest extend unbeaten run to five games with 1-1 draw against Aston Villa, staying three points clear of relegation zone.

Aston Villa's winning run ends at Forest...

Nottingham Forest claimed a crucial point in their survival fight with a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa at home. The Tricky Trees came from behind to equalise.

Aston Villa's pre-match blow saw Emiliano Martinez pull out, but replacement Marco Bizot made an early save, tipping Neco Williams' shot wide.

The match had an edgy feel due to its importance for both teams. The breakthrough came in the 23rd minute via an own goal.

Morgan Rogers' shot was deflected into the net by Murillo, who got tangled up and knocked it past his own keeper.

Seemingly buoyed by his role in the opener, Rogers then played a pass that forced Matz Sels to rush out to deny Ollie Watkins, who soon fired a shot of his own that glanced off the crossbar on its way behind.

Forest struck back in the 38th minute, though, as Callum Hudson-Odoi laid the ball off for Williams to drill a first-time strike past Bizot. 

Neco Williams had another shot from outside the box, but Bizot was equal to it. A header also went just wide before halftime.

After the break, Igor Jesus went close twice in eight minutes, and Youri Tielemans struck wide for Forest. Both teams were pushing for the win.

The goalkeepers were forced to make an impressive save apiece shortly after the hour mark, as Bizot reacted well after Morgan Gibbs-White’s attempt took a touch off Matty Cash, before Sels got down to deny Watkins. 

Sels then stopped Ross Barkley’s shot but parried it into a dangerous area, and will have been relieved to see Rogers blaze his shot over. When Williams delivered a corner that Chris Wood got his head on but couldn’t turn towards goal, the full-back latched onto the loose ball and hit a venomous shot that Tielemans blocked.

Aston Villa pushed hard for a late win. But Watkins cleared the crossbar, and Cash's strike was saved.

Neco Williams' first-half strike ensures the points are shared between @NFFC and @AVFCOfficial at the City Ground 🤝 pic.twitter.com/L38fId8gNA

— Premier League (@premierleague) April 12, 2026

The draw extends Forest's unbeaten run to five games. They're still close to the relegation zone, three points ahead of Spurs.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s three-game winning run in competitive action was brought to an end, meaning they missed a chance to go above Manchester United.