Aston Villa moved into second place in the Premier League after a 3-1 home win over Nottingham Forest, headlined by a John McGinn brace and an Ollie Watkins opener.
Aston Villa recovered from a heavy midweek defeat to Arsenal by securing a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Saturday.
The win sees Unai Emery’s side move into second place in the Premier League, leapfrogging Manchester City.
Ollie Watkins opened the scoring just before half-time with a clinical finish from outside the area, marking his fourth goal in three matches after Villa dominated possession throughout the opening period.
The hosts extended their lead shortly after the restart when captain John McGinn side-footed home from a Matty Cash cross.
Although Morgan Gibbs-White briefly threatened a comeback with a delicate chip over Emi Martinez, a defensive lapse from Forest goalkeeper John Victor settled the contest.
Victor inexplicably vacated his goal to challenge for a long ball, allowing McGinn to stay composed, sidestep the keeper, and stroke the ball into an empty net.
he result maintains Villa’s formidable home record, marking their 11th consecutive win at Villa Park since August.
With 42 points, they now sit just three points behind league leaders Arsenal and one ahead of Manchester City, who play on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest’s fourth straight loss leaves them hovering dangerously just one place above the relegation zone as the pressure mounts on manager Sean Dyche.