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Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa live: Williams strikes after Murillo own goal in Premier League

Watch highlights from the first half of Forest vs Villa

Written by Ben Miller
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Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa live: Williams strikes after Murillo own goal in Premier League

Neco Williams fired in from the edge of the penalty area to ensure Nottingham Forest were level at half-time at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday after Murillo’s own goal opened the scoring.

Seeking a fourth straight win in all competitions, fourth-placed Villa took the lead when Murillo turned in a low cross from inside the box by Morgan Rogers, who shot against the woodwork two minutes before Williams equalised from Callum Hudson-Odoi’s pass.

“These home fans have been urging their team to pull the trigger,” former Wales midfielder Dave Edwards told BBC Sport. “[Williams] smashes his shot hard and low. Forest are back in this game.”

The hosts started three points above the drop zone with a significant goal superiority following a 3-0 win at rivals Tottenham – who were drawing 0-0 at half-time at Sunderland, where their game started at the same time on Sunday. – in their last top-flight outing on March 22.

Analysis: Forest vs Villa ‘exciting’

Villa started two points above fifth-placed Liverpool with a match in hand but Forest had all four attempts on target between the teams before the break.

“It’s been a brilliant 45 minutes,” Williams said at the interval. “It is an important game at different ends of the table and both teams have engaged in that.

“It has been exciting; both teams have had good moments, periods of possession and chances.”

Nottingham Forest team vs Villa

Forest made nine changes from their 1-1 draw at Porto in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final three days ago, Morgan Gibbs-White and Murillo retaining their places.

Forest’s Chris Wood scored 20 goals in last season’s Premier League and the New Zealand striker started at Porto after six months out with a knee injury.

Wood was on the bench this time and Elliot Anderson returned from suspension in midfield.

Goalkeeper John Victor and defenders Willy Boly and Nicolo Savona remained out with knee problems. Centre-back Jair Cunha had an ankle issue.

Nottingham Forest starting XI: Matz Sels, Neco Williams, Murillo, Ibrahim Sangare, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Igor Jesus, Omari Hutchinson, Nikola Milenkovic, Ola Aina

Forest substitutes: Stefan Ortega, Morato, Chris Wood, Cherif Ndoye, Nicolas Dominguez, Ryan Yates, James McAtee, Luca Netz, Dilane Bakwa

Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White

Aston Villa team vs Forest

Ross Barkley was a newcomer in Villa’s midfield in place of Emi Buendia. Ezri Konsa headed the opener in the 3-1 win at Bologna in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals three days earlier but mades way for Victor Lindelof this time.

Winger Jadon Sancho (shoulder) and midfielder Boubacar Kamara (knee) were sidelined.

Influential midfielder Youri Tielemans had made his first start since returning from an ankle injury at Bologna, providing assists from corners for Konsa and the second of Ollie Watkins’ goals.

Villa won four of the 11 games the Belgium international missed.

Aston Villa starting XI: Emiliano Martinez, Matty Cash, Victor Lindelof, Pau Torres, Lucas Digne, Ross Barkley, Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins

Villa substitutes: Marco Bizot, Ezri Konsa, Emiliano Buendia, Andres Garcia, Tammy Abraham, Douglas Luiz, Ian Maatsen, Lamare Bogarde, Leon Bailey

Where to watch Forest v Villa: TV channel, live online streams

Kick-off on Sunday was at 14:00 BST (09:00 ET / 06:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra.

Via Now TV, Sky Sports costs £14.99 for a day membership, £28 a month for a 12-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.

Sky Sports memberships include access to all 12 live Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+, which offers live streams and a dedicated channel.

Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa stats

  • Forest could achieve three straight home league wins against Villa for the first time since a run between 1977 and 1979
  • They are winless in seven home league games (D4 L3), failing to score in their last three and last going longer without a home league goal in February 2018 in the Championship (5 games)
  • The only occasion on which they have waited longer for a home goal in the top flight was in April 1911 (4)
  • Only Brentford’s Igor Thiago (1,608) has applied more high-intensity pressures in the Premier League this season than Anderson (1,527), with 74.1% of Anderson’s pressures during the campaign high-intensity
  • Anderson has the second-highest high intensity rate of any player to record 1,500+ pressures in the division, behind only Brighton & Hove Albion’s Diego Gomez (77.3%)
  • Villa could complete a league double over Forest for the first time since 2017/18 and for the first time in the Premier League since 1992/93
  • They have lost three of their 17 Premier League games against Forest (W9 D5). Among sides they’ve faced at least 15 times in the competition, only against Coventry (16.7%) do they have a lower loss rate than against Forest (17.6%)
  • The Villans have lost their last two away games in the Premier League, last losing more in a row between November and December 2024 (5), a run including a 2-1 defeat to Forest
  • Of Villa’s 23 Premier League games in which John McGinn has started this season, 14 have been wins (61%), representing the highest ratio of any player to start at least 20 league games for the club this season
  • When McGinn hasn’t started, their win rate drops to 25% (2/8) in 2025/26

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