Nottm Forest vs Aston Villa: Can Aston Villa Win Today For The 13th Consecutive Time

Luton fell to thirteen successive home defeats, with Aston Villa gaining their twelfth in a row and moving them into fifth. The post is formidable, and five of its next six matches are won. This is a tie only once in the entire series, when it was played against Wolves.

Unai Emery’s team may have been struggling because of the demands of the Europa Conference League. Still, they accumulated 22 points from ten matches, the largest number since the 1998 to 1999 season. A win in their following match could see them rise temporarily to 3rd position, provided that Liverpool’s game is later in the day.

Contrarily, in September, Nottingham Forest won Chelsea and was then number nine. But their fortunes have been on a steady decline, and they are only ranked at number 16, having lost six matches consecutively. The team lost some crucial games to its rivals (city and Liverpool). However, points dropped in matches against Burnley and Luton Town, which are fighting for the right to remain in the premier league.

Despite being just five points above the relegation zone, Steve Cooper’s team is determined to change this trend. Although Forest has not lost any of their past seven home matches, Villas’ form is not a walk in the park, having won just once in their last sixteen encounters (in the Championship in 2017).

Let’s check today’s match highlights:

First-half begins!!!

• At the beginning of the 2nd minute, Nottingham Forest started with energy, and Niakhate got a chance to make a crossball to the left side. With a desperate effort to clear the danger, a Villa player got a touch, but soon enough, Gibbs-White again sent it home. Nevertheless, Villa cleared the ball out of their area after his attempt.
• A goal in the 5th minute by Nottingham Forest. Aina strikes with power, and it makes it 1-0! So far, Elang is effective on the left side and shakes it smoothly from Cash for a return to Toffolo. After a well-calculated pass, Toffolo prepares Aina, who lets out an incredible low shot that crosses over the goal and finds its way into the bottom corner.
• Aston Villa has not been at its best in the opening minutes of this game for just 9 minutes. Toffolo and Elanga constantly push Cash into a defensive position, hampering Villa’s attack, while Cash is trying to build some momentum on the right flank.
• The right-sided Gibbs-white escapes Digne, and he commits a foul in the 14th minute. Luckily, there is no booking for Digne over the challenge. Subsequently, after the incident, a cross ball enters the penalty area and creates havoc around the edge of the box. Amid this frenzy, a Forest player appeals for a handball, which could have translated into a penalty goal, but luckily, Torres comes in and clears the ball away.
• Villa’s first attempt at a goal occurs in the fifteenth minute, where they create great chances. However, Toffolo does not allow it as he moves to the right of Cash, who cannot go around the left back. However, he handles the ball's movement on his left foot and provides a pass to the goal area. Unmarked Zanzilno finds an opportunity towards the middle part, but his header goes over the bar.
• Beginning with the nineteenth minute, Villa is gaining some pace in the game. Zaniolo gets a through pass by Digne and pushes it to Watkins. After that, Watkins sends it to Luiz, who arches a cross for Cash. On the other hand, Cash comes running in from the right and has a crack at it but sends it well over the crossbar. The tragedy was doubled when the referee raised his linesmen’s flag to show a Watkins’ off-side.
• Twenty-five minutes later, Digne creates space and a moment to deliver a cross from the left. The ball is sent deep into the danger zone of the penalty box by him. Watkins has an opportunity, but Murillo senses the threat and clears it with a great save.
• In the 30th minute, Villa is prospering on the left wing; the problem lies in Ainea, who plays forward but is weak at defending. Digne, an ex-Everton player, effortlessly serves the ball into Zaniolo’s slide and misses. The ball hits Vlachodimos, bounces back into the Italians’ half, and goes out of play.
• After some neat passing by Villa in Forest’s half, Diaby takes advantage at minute 36 by making a breakaway. He passes the ball to Zaniolo, who takes it a little too hard at first. However, Zaniolo gets up again, sending a low drive toward the bottom corner. With that, Vlachodimos was ready for the job through an incredible catch-up and away corner kick.
• Forest passes up on an excellent chance to add a second goal in the 39th minute. Aina runs down the right and beats Zanieol with a powerful tackle, which knocks the former to the ground. The space is also taken by Aina, who passes the ball backward at Dominguez. Being in position to hit first, Dominguez shoots way over the bar and misses on the opportunity.
• By the 43rd minute, Forest had countered Villa’s attacking capabilities. Usually competent on his inswinger crosses that give chances he misses his target this time, and none of his teammate’s glances at his pass. However, in this particular case, murder takes the advantage over the defender.

The official has indicated that there will be two minutes of added time before the end of the half.

• In the 45+1 minute, on a quick one-two with Gibbs-White, Dominguez races down the right and there’s an appeal for a penalty. He advances the ball towards Awoniyi, who falls down upon receiving and this is followed by shouts for a free kick. However, it is overturned by VAR which confirms the original offside and cancels the ensuing penalty kick order.
• In the 45+3 minute, it is the turn of Villa’s to seek a penalty. The situation is when Digne attacks and delivers cross that is Cash heading onto the arm of Toffolo during that attack period. The referee is unmoved and rules out a penalty against Villa.

Second-half begins!!!

• In the 46^th minute, the quick start of Villa. Digne goes forward from the left side and delivers it through the corridor to Watkins. In close range, Watkins takes a shot, and a reflex from Vlachodimos saves the day.
• In the 47^th minute, it’s a goal for Nottingham Forest! They now lead 2-1! As a result, it is during this moment that Toffolo drives in a cross that Awoniyi prevents from going out of play. Then he hands it over to Toffolo very fast. He then releases a fierce strike with his right foot which was taken from the edge of the box to Mangala. Martinez gets a hand at it as he tries to kick clear, but it only looped over his head and bounced off narrowly over the goal-line.
• In the 50^th minute, Awoniyi is caught between defended players at the penalty area but still prods a pass toward Dominguez. Martinez makes an easy save when Dominguez’s shot has little or no power.
• In the 56^th minute, This makes it possible for Watkins to keep the possession and then lay off the ball towards McGinn. However, McGinn could have passed it down the left into the feet of Digne. He instead opted to send it in a high ball towards Watkins who had just found space. Unmarked Watkins heads a ball and fires, unfortunately very wide of the mark.
• In the 59^th minute, Cash seems uncomfortable on the shoulder that forces him out for cash. This leads Villa to adopt a different formation, with an additional player such as Tielemans coming in from the bench, what looks like a standard move for them.
• In the 64^th minute, Kamara receives the first yellow card of the match due to a belated challenge on Elanga.
• In the 67^th minute, taking advantage of the opportunity given on the left hand side, Digne sends in a cross straight through the center of the penalty box. Niakhate covers Watkins in danger as he moves to meet the cross, trying to direct it on target while leaving the ball to safety.
• In the 68^th minute, powerful left low cross is made by Luiz and cleared by Forest in first instance. It flies to Bailey’s feet and Bailey is quick enough with his first touch straight to Diaby. Smartly, Diaby manages to take the ball to his left foot before he sends in a low curving shot to the corner of the goal. Vlachodimos is still calm, following its path as it comes to him and he easily takes it away for another simple save.
• In the 73^rd minute, the pairing up of Bailey and Diaby is paying off the right side with Murillo miscue resulting in a corner. In result, McGinn takes a corner and Konsa connects his head with this. Ball lingers above the jam-packed penalty box for a brief second when a desperate defender clears with force off danger line.
• In the 78^th minute, in the closing minutes, Villa decides to substitute one player. Surprisingly, Kamara whom was standing out during the match is given a red card which means that he is taken off the pitch. Carlos therefore replaces his role in the field.
• In the 82^nd minute, Awoniyi’s spell in the field, having recovered from a nagging injury and back into first eleven is over. To replace him, the attacking line will be spearheaded by another new signing, Danilo that made a vital contribution to Forest’s struggles to prevent the drop during the last campaign.
• In the 86^th minute, this is commendable as Carlos sends a lofted pass towards Digne who nods it down. After that, McGinn sends a hard cross towards the penalty box. Diaby is well placed enough to shoot the ball, however, he decides passes it to Watkins as we observed. Unfortunately, this proves to be a lost opportunity that washes away since they could have scored.
• In the 86^th minute, Aina has had a good game on the flank, scoring the first goal and now he is substituted too. He is replaced by Williams who plays the rest of the game for them.
• In the 90+1 minute, down the middle, Diaby lays on a pass to Bailey from the right. The game within the penalty box, Bailey attempts to gain possession of it and turn inwards but is denied. The tendency for him to always push the ball towards his left leg reveals this and the forest defenders are already getting used to his actions such that they can tackle him appropriately.
• In the 90+3 minute, Konsa moves with the ball and then passes it along the right flank to Bailey. As Bailey drifts inward for one clever back-pass intended to switch it to Diaby. Nevertheless, Williams is quick to grasp the situation and prevents it by an accurate intervention.
• In the 90+5 minute, Tielemans quickly capitalizes on Forest’s unpreparedness by striking a free-kick and passing it across to an unmarked Digne in the box. With this advantage, however, Villa do not make use of it and formulate a lucid goal chance only to relinquish the ball again. However, in a second of opportunity, Elanga gets onto the attack and Diaby, although recovering his ground at his best pace, cannot get a hold and ends up losing it to his opponent.

And that’s it! The game is now officially over. Nottenham Forest broke the chain of wins that Aston Villa achieved in the last 12 games. What a game this was to witness! Hope you would have enjoyed the game just like we did. Stay tuned for more!