Nottingham Forest secured a crucial point against Aston Villa on Sunday, a 1-1 draw at the City Ground that nudges them further from the relegation zone. This result comes as Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat elsewhere means Forest now sit three points clear of the bottom three.
The draw, which saw Nottingham Forest equalise after an early own goal, provides a vital boost to their Premier League survival hopes in the final seven games of the season.
The match itself was described as entertaining and tense, with the point earned being of greater consequence for Forest than for Aston Villa. The visitors had taken the lead through an unfortunate own goal by Murillo in the 23rd minute. Neco Williams later levelled for Forest in the 38th minute.
Forest’s starting lineup featured Sels in goal, a defence of Aina, Murillo, Milenkovic, and Williams, a midfield of Sangare, Anderson, Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, and Hudson-Odoi, with Igor Jesus leading the line. Aston Villa fielded Bizot, Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Digne in defence, a midfield of Onana, Tielemans, McGinn, Barkley, and Rogers, and Watkins as their striker.
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Injuries impacted both squads. Nottingham Forest were without Willy Boly, Nicola Savona, and John Victor due to knee issues, with Jair Cunha questionable with an ankle problem. Aston Villa were missing Boubacar Kamara (knee) and had Jadon Sancho listed as questionable with a shoulder injury.
Both clubs are also engaged in European competition, with Forest having drawn their UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg in Porto, while Aston Villa secured a significant 3-1 advantage in their first leg away to Bologna. These contrasting domestic and continental pressures highlight differing objectives as the season reaches its climax.
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A History of Close Encounters
Recent encounters between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa have often been tightly contested. A prior fixture this season saw Aston Villa narrowly win 2-1 at Villa Park. In that match, quick goals from Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen gave Villa a 2-0 lead, before Jota Silva pulled one back for Forest in the second half. Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo lamented a slow start that proved costly in that game.
Another match from December 2024 ended in a dramatic 2-1 victory for Nottingham Forest, courtesy of a late injury-time winner from Anthony Elanga. Aston Villa had initially taken the lead through Jhon Duran. In that contest, Forest registered significantly more shots and shots on target.
Earlier in the 2024/2025 season, a match in April 2025 saw Nottingham Forest lose 2-1 at Villa Park, with Jota scoring for Forest.
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In January 2026, midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White acknowledged a "difficult" spell for Nottingham Forest following a defeat against Aston Villa, which preceded a run of four consecutive Premier League losses. Despite these setbacks, Gibbs-White expressed belief in the team's ability to avoid relegation, with a crucial upcoming fixture against West Ham identified as potentially decisive. That defeat left Forest four points clear of the relegation places at the time.
