Aston Villa 3-1 Nottingham Forest: Report, result and goals as McGinn at the double for Villans

Aston Villa moved into second place in the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park.

The opening half was largely one-sided in terms of control, with Villa circulating the ball for long periods but struggling to convert their dominance into clear chances.

Forest sat deep and offered little going forward, registering minimal attacking threat before the interval.

The breakthrough finally arrived in stoppage time before the break. Ollie Watkins was given space on the edge of the box and produced a sharp turn before firing a powerful right-footed strike into the top corner, giving the hosts a deserved lead after a subdued first half.

Villa take control after the break

Villa carried their momentum into the second half and doubled their advantage within minutes. Matty Cash delivered a low ball across the penalty area, where John McGinn arrived to side-foot past John Victor for his first goal in three months.

Forest briefly reduced the deficit just past the hour mark when Morgan Gibbs-White ran onto a well-weighted through ball from Dilane Bakwa and lifted a composed finish over Emiliano Martinez.

But any hopes of a comeback were effectively ended in the 73rd minute. Youri Tielemans played a long pass forward that drew goalkeeper John Victor well outside his area.

McGinn reacted first, rounded the stranded keeper and finished into an empty net to claim his first Premier League brace and restore Villa’s two-goal cushion.

Villa managed the closing stages comfortably, maintaining possession and limiting Forest to isolated efforts.

The hosts finished the match having completed nearly 600 passes and outperforming their expected goals total, underlining their control throughout the contest.

The result extends Villa’s strong home form and lifts them into second place, just three points off Arsenal. Forest, meanwhile, remain in the relegation battle and will turn their eyes to Wolves vs West Ham.