Premier League Regular Season - 20
Aston Villa 3 - 1 FT Nottingham Forest
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
45'+1 O. Watkins (M. Rogers)
HT
49' J. McGinn (M. Cash)
M. Gibbs-White (D. Bakwa) 61'
D. Bakwa 64'
69' ↓ I. Maatsen ↑L. Digne
69' ↓ E. Buendia ↑J. Sancho
↓ O. Aina ↑N. Savona 69'
↓ D. Bakwa ↑J. McAtee 69'
73' J. McGinn (Y. Tielemans)
↓ John Victor ↑M. Sels 78'
83' ↓ J. McGinn ↑L. Bogarde
83' ↓ O. Watkins ↑D. Malen
↓ N. Dominguez ↑Douglas Luiz 84'
↓ Igor Jesus ↑A. Kalimuendo 84'
J. McAtee 89'
90' ↓ M. Cash ↑A. Garcia
90'+4 L. Bogarde
FT
Player Cards
Season performance ratings for players in this match
Aston Villa
Goalkeepers
Emiliano Martínez 
PROVOCATEUR
1
Fouls Won
1
Fouls Won
1
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Defenders
Matty Cash 
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
7.3
Rating
Ezri Konsa 
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
2
Tackles
100%
Duel Win %
Victor Lindelöf 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
95
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ian Maatsen 
STORMTROOPER
2
Shots
2
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Midfielders
Boubacar Kamara 
MAGNET
112
Activity
112
Activity
90
Passes
22
Duels
Youri Tielemans
MAGNET
116
Activity
116
Activity
107
Passes
9
Duels
John McGinn 
HITMAN
2
Goals
2
Goals
2
On Target
8.7
Rating
Morgan Rogers
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
3
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Emiliano Buendía
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
69
Total Mins
69
Entry
Forwards
Ollie Watkins 
SNIPER
50%
Conversion
50%
Conversion
1
Goals
2
Shots
BENCH
Marco Bizot 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Lucas Digne
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
26
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Andrés García
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
5
Total Mins
Started
Entry
TJ Carroll
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Lamare Bogarde
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
12
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jamaldeen Jimoh
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
George Hemmings
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jadon Sancho
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
26
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Donyell Malen
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
12
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Nottingham Forest
Goalkeepers
John Victor 
SIEVE
25%
Save %
25%
Save %
3
Conceded
1
Saves
Defenders
Ola Aina 
SWEEPER
3
Cleanups
3
Cleanups
3
Interceptions
0
Blocks
Nikola Milenković
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
95
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Murillo
SWEEPER
4
Cleanups
4
Cleanups
2
Interceptions
2
Blocks
Neco Williams
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
95
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
Omari Hutchinson
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
95
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Elliot Anderson
SWEEPER
4
Cleanups
4
Cleanups
3
Interceptions
1
Blocks
Morgan Gibbs-White
SNIPER
50%
Conversion
50%
Conversion
1
Goals
2
Shots
Nicolás Domínguez
SWEEPER
2
Cleanups
2
Cleanups
2
Interceptions
0
Blocks
Dilane Bakwa
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
6.2
Rating
Forwards
Igor Jesus
LATE SHIFT
6
Late Mins
6
Late Mins
84
Total Mins
84
Entry
BENCH
Matz Sels
PROVOCATEUR
1
Fouls Won
1
Fouls Won
1
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Nicolò Savona
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
26
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Morato
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Oleksandr Zinchenko
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Zach Abbott
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
James McAtee
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
26
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Douglas Luiz
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
11
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Taiwo Awoniyi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Arnaud Kalimuendo
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
11
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/04/2025 | Aston Villa | 2 - 1 | Nottingham Forest | Premier League | Villa Park |
| 14/12/2024 | Nottingham Forest | 2 - 1 | Aston Villa | Premier League | The City Ground |
| 24/02/2024 | Aston Villa | 4 - 2 | Nottingham Forest | Premier League | Villa Park |
| 05/11/2023 | Nottingham Forest | 2 - 0 | Aston Villa | Premier League | The City Ground |
| 08/04/2023 | Aston Villa | 2 - 0 | Nottingham Forest | Premier League | Villa Park |
| 10/10/2022 | Nottingham Forest | 1 - 1 | Aston Villa | Premier League | The City Ground |
| 13/03/2019 | Nottingham Forest | 1 - 3 | Aston Villa | Championship | City Ground |
| 28/11/2018 | Aston Villa | 5 - 5 | Nottingham Forest | Championship | Villa Park |
| 13/01/2018 | Nottingham Forest | 0 - 1 | Aston Villa | Championship | City Ground |
05/04/2025
14/12/2024
24/02/2024
05/11/2023
08/04/2023
10/10/2022
13/03/2019
28/11/2018
13/01/2018
Aston Villa Win
Nottingham Forest Win
Draw
League Standings
P: 20 GD: +26
P: 20 GD: +26
P: 20 GD: +9
P: 20 GD: +4
P: 20 GD: +11
P: 20 GD: +4
P: 20 GD: +4
P: 20 GD: +2
P: 20 GD: +4
P: 20 GD: +3
P: 20 GD: -1
P: 20 GD: -2
P: 20 GD: +4
P: 20 GD: -1
P: 20 GD: -7
P: 20 GD: -7
P: 20 GD: -14
P: 20 GD: -20
P: 20 GD: -19
League Standings
P: 24 GD: +29
P: 24 GD: +26
P: 24 GD: +9
P: 24 GD: +8
P: 24 GD: +15
P: 24 GD: +6
P: 24 GD: +4
P: 24 GD: -1
P: 24 GD: -1
P: 24 GD: 0
P: 23 GD: -2
P: 24 GD: -3
P: 24 GD: +2
P: 24 GD: +2
P: 24 GD: -4
P: 24 GD: -11
P: 24 GD: -11
P: 24 GD: -19
P: 23 GD: -19
AI-powered match analysis and previews to help you decide which games are worth watching
McGinn's Brace Seals Villa's Dominance Over Depleted Forest
Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 58/100. This wasn't a contest—it was a masterclass in how to punish a team drowning in the relegation zone.
The Scot Takes Centre Stage
John McGinn arrived at Villa Park with something to prove, and by the final whistle, he'd announced himself as the architect of Nottingham Forest's latest collapse. The Scottish midfielder's brace—arriving in the 49th and 73rd minutes—transformed a cagey first half into a rout. His movement in the box was surgical; his finishing clinical. With a rating of 8.7, McGinn didn't just score; he orchestrated Aston Villa's intensity from midfield, turning Villa Park into a fortress where Forest simply had no answers. Youri Tielemans provided the assist for McGinn's second, a moment that crystallised Villa's control.
The Turning Point: Watkins' Opener Changes Everything
Ollie Watkins broke the deadlock in the 45th minute, courtesy of Matt Rogers' assist, arriving just before the interval to swing the balance decisively toward the hosts. Forest, already fragile at 17th with just five wins from twenty games, crumbled. Their form sheet reads LLLLW—a single victory in five matches—and this defeat epitomised why they're adrift. Morgan Gibbs-White's 61st-minute goal, set up by Demarai Bakwa, offered momentary hope, but it proved merely a consolation in a one-sided affair.
Villa's Title Credentials on Full Display
Aston Villa's control was suffocating. Seventy-four per cent possession, eleven shots with four on target, and a pass accuracy of 90 per cent told the story of a side operating at a different level. With 42 points from 20 games and second place secure, Villa continue their push toward the summit. Forest's 26 per cent possession and four offsides reflect their desperation—a team without a tactical blueprint, merely hoping for scraps. The stakes couldn't be starker: Villa's title ambitions versus Forest's fight for survival.
Key Questions
What made John McGinn the Man of the Match?
McGinn's two clinical finishes, tireless midfield work, and 8.7 rating showcased why he's Villa's creative heartbeat. He dictated tempo and converted chances ruthlessly.
Can Forest recover from this collapse?
With five wins in twenty games and a -14 goal difference, Forest face an uphill battle. They need immediate tactical overhaul and recruitment in January.
How is the Futmetrix Score calculated?
The Futmetrix Score (0-100) combines multiple factors: match intensity, competitive balance, stakes importance, and entertainment value to help you decide if this match is worth watching.
Title Contenders Collide With Survival Stakes at Villa Park
Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 70/100. Aston Villa's momentum meets Nottingham Forest's desperation in a clash where three points carry wildly different meanings—and that's precisely what makes it unmissable.
The Setup
Villa arrive at Villa Park riding a perfect five-game winning streak, their Form propelling them into genuine title contention at third in the table. Meanwhile, Forest sit precariously in 17th, just five points above the drop zone, their Stakes infinitely higher. This isn't a routine fixture—it's a referendum on whether Forest can claw back into safety or whether they're destined for a catastrophic collapse. The Balance here is deceptive: Villa are clear favourites, but Forest's survival instinct could produce something genuinely dangerous.
Key Battle
The midfield duel will define this match. Villa's control-focused approach—built on possession and tempo—must contend with Forest's compact, counter-attacking shape. Whoever dictates the transition game wins the narrative. Villa will probe methodically; Forest will hunt for the killer break.
Our Prediction
Villa win 2-1. They dominate possession and create clear chances, but Forest's desperation yields a second-half goal that briefly threatens an upset. Villa's quality ultimately prevails, though the scoreline undersells their control.
Key Questions
Should I watch this match?
Absolutely. Villa's title form versus Forest's survival desperation creates genuine unpredictability. High entertainment value.
What's the predicted outcome?
Villa 2-1 Forest. Dominant home performance with a late scare.
Where are both teams in the league table?
Villa third with 36 points. Forest 17th with 18 points—in the relegation mix.
What's Aston Villa's current form?
Five consecutive wins. Villa are in imperious form, unbeaten in 2026.
What does this mean for relegation?
A loss could be catastrophic for Forest. A win keeps them in the fight.
How is the Futmetrix Score calculated?
The Futmetrix Score (0-100) combines multiple factors: match intensity, competitive balance, stakes importance, and entertainment value to help you decide if this match is worth watching.