Nottingham Forest 1-1 Aston Villa: Report, result and goals as Williams earns key point

Neco Williams’ equaliser earned Nottingham Forest a potentially crucial point in their fight for Premier League survival as they drew 1-1 with Aston Villa at the City Ground.

Having beaten Spurs 3-0 in their previous game before the international break and earned a 1-1 draw with Porto in the Europa League in midweek, Forest went into Sunday’s contest seeking to continue their upward momentum.

It looked as if they would come back to down earth with a bump when a Murillo own goal gave Villa the lead, but a fierce low drive from Williams restored parity.

Both sides spurned chances to take a 2-1 lead in an entertaining second half, but ultimately Forest will likely be satisfied with a point that moves them three points clear of third-bottom Tottenham, who lost 1-0 at Sunderland.

Villa, perhaps fatigued by their Europa League exertions in Bologna in midweek, are seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea in the race for the five Champions League spot ahead of the Blues’ game with Manchester City.

Nottingham Forest earn valuable point against Aston Villa

Clear-cut chances had been few and far between in the opening stages, but Morgan Rogers was rewarded for his ambition with a moment of good fortune.

Lucas Digne played in Rogers down the left, and the England international’s fizzing low cross bounced off Murillo and beyond Matz Sels.

Yet parity was restored a quarter of an hour later as Williams, who had earlier tested Bizot at the near post, tried his luck again with a fizzing low drive to which the Dutchman had no answer.

Williams forced another save from Bizot with a markedly similar effort, before Murillo spurned a chance to atone for his own goal by heading narrowly wide.

Forest striker Igor Jesus was guilty of significant profligacy as the hosts sought to turn the game around in the second half, the Brazilian heading over before seeing a deflected effort kept out by brilliant reactions from Bizot.

John McGinn was denied by a fine Sels save at the other end, though the Forest goalkeeper was then fortunate to see Rogers blaze over with the goal at his mercy after the Belgian could only parry a Ross Barkley effort.

Ollie Watkins swept over the crossbar and Matty Cash had Sels panicked with an ambitious strike that was too hot to handle, but Forest ultimately stood firm for what could prove to be a precious point.