Aston Villa 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Updated
Aston Villa won: Aston Villa 3-1 Nottingham Forest in the Premier League (Round 20) on Sat, 3 Jan 2026 at Villa Park, Birmingham. Aston Villa goals: Ollie Watkins 45'+1, John McGinn 49', John McGinn 73'. Nottingham Forest goals: Morgan Gibbs-White 61'. Expected goals: 1.70-0.89. Possession: 73-27. Player of the match: John McGinn (8.9).
Match report
Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest 3-1
Aston Villa saw off Nottingham Forest 3-1 at Villa Park on Saturday 3 January in the Premier League.
Ollie Watkins put Aston Villa ahead on 45+1' (1-0), John McGinn made it 2-0 on 49', Morgan Gibbs-White pulled one back for Nottingham Forest on 61' (2-1) and John McGinn made it 3-1 on 73'.
Aston Villa had 73% of the ball, shots were 11-10 (4-5 on target) and expected goals finished 1.70-0.89.
John McGinn (Aston Villa) was player of the match with an 8.9 rating.
Attendance: 43,039. Referee: Simon Hooper.
Match stats
| Aston Villa | Nottingham Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ball possession | 73 | 27 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 1.70 | 0.89 |
| Total shots | 11 | 10 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 5 |
| Touches in opposition box | 46 | 13 |
| Big chances | 2 | 2 |
| Big chances missed | 1 | 1 |
| Accurate passes | 579 (90%) | 170 (71%) |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 2 |
| Corners | 4 | 4 |
| Total shots | 11 | 10 |
| Shots off target | 3 | 3 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 5 |
| Blocked shots | 4 | 2 |
| Hit woodwork | 0 | 0 |
| Shots inside box | 5 | 6 |
Lineups
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Emiliano Martínez, Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Victor Nilsson Lindelöf, Ian Maatsen, Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, Morgan Rogers, Emiliano Buendía, Ollie Watkins
Nottingham Forest (4-5-1): John Victor, Ola Aina, Nikola Milenković, Murillo, Neco Williams, Dilane Bakwa, Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson, Nicolás Dominguez, Omari Hutchinson, Igor Jesus
Key events
- 45'+1 · Goal · Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
- 49' · Goal · John McGinn (Aston Villa)
- 61' · Goal · Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest)
- 65' · Yellow card · Dilane Bakwa (Nottingham Forest)
- 69' · Substitution · Lucas Digne for Ian Maatsen (Aston Villa)
- 69' · Substitution · Jadon Sancho for Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa)
- 69' · Substitution · Nicolò Savona for Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest)
- 69' · Substitution · James McAtee for Dilane Bakwa (Nottingham Forest)
- 73' · Goal · John McGinn (Aston Villa)
- 78' · Substitution · Matz Sels for John Victor (Nottingham Forest)
- 83' · Substitution · Donyell Malen for Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
- 83' · Substitution · Lamare Bogarde for John McGinn (Aston Villa)
- 84' · Substitution · Douglas Luiz for Nicolás Dominguez (Nottingham Forest)
- 84' · Substitution · Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga for Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest)
- 89' · Yellow card · James McAtee (Nottingham Forest)
- 90' · Substitution · Andrés García for Matty Cash (Aston Villa)
- 90'+4 · Yellow card · Lamare Bogarde (Aston Villa)
All-time head-to-head
23 league meetings since 1994: Aston Villa 10, draws 8, Nottingham Forest 5.
Questions
Who won Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest?
Aston Villa won, 3-1 (Premier League) on Sat, 3 Jan 2026.
When and where is Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest?
Sat, 3 Jan 2026, 12:30 UTC at Villa Park, Birmingham, Premier League.
What is the head-to-head record between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest?
In 23 league meetings since 1994: Aston Villa 10 wins, 8 draws, Nottingham Forest 5 wins (goals 39-30).