Aston Villa extended their winning streak to seven matches in all competitions with a lively 2-1 win over high-flying Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The hosts struck twice in the opening 15 minutes through Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen, setting the tone for a dominant first half that ultimately proved enough to secure all three points.

Unai Emery’s side, surging with confidence, came out with purpose and precision. Just 13 minutes in, Youri Tielemans picked out Morgan Rogers with a pin-point ball. The young forward controlled it expertly, held off his marker, and calmly slotted the ball between Matz Sels’ legs to give Villa an early lead. Two minutes later, Villa doubled their advantage. Left-back Ian Maatsen found space on the flank and delivered a low, driven cross into the path of Donyell Malen, who tapped in from close range for his sixth goal of the season.

Nottingham Forest, shaken but not shattered, found their rhythm in the second half. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo made impactful changes at halftime, with substitute Jota Silva making the most of his opportunity in the 57th minute. Capitalizing on a moment of hesitation in the Villa defense, Silva controlled the ball in the box, turned sharply, and fired past Emiliano Martínez to give the visitors hope.

Forest pushed for an equalizer, with Neco Williams and Elliot Anderson seeing decent efforts go just wide. The closest they came, however, was in stoppage time. Brazilian defender Murillo unleashed a thunderous strike from 25 yards that rattled the crossbar, drawing gasps from both sets of supporters but failing to find the net.

After the match, Unai Emery expressed pride in his side’s growing momentum.

“This victory is very important. I'm very happy with the win. Of course, there are things to improve, but we keep pushing—this is a very competitive league.”

Forest boss Nuno Espírito Santo was more reflective.

“We started the game really badly. We weren't organized, and Villa took full advantage. The second half was better we showed who we are, but the damage was already done.”

The win sees Villa climb to sixth place, level on points with fifth-placed Manchester City, and just six behind Forest, who remain in third. With a Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain looming, Villa’s form couldn’t be peaking at a better time.

For Nottingham Forest, the result is a reminder that the margins at the top are thin, and any lapse in concentration especially early in the game can prove costly.