BirminghamLive brings you the talking points from Aston Villa’s 4-2 victory over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park.
Aston Villa has opened up a gap between themselves and Manchester United after defeating Nottingham Forest 4-2 at Villa Park on Saturday.
As the time crept down in Villa’s match against the Reds, chants erupted in areas of the Holte End shortly after Alex Iwobi sentenced the Red Devils to their tenth league defeat of the season. Like last Saturday, when Tottenham suffered a shock home defeat to Wolves and Villa won at Fulham, their latest three points over Forest felt even more important.
Villa held off Forest’s comeback in the second half, with Moussa Niakhate and Morgan Gibbs-White scoring either side of halftime after Ollie Watkins’ opener and Douglas Luiz’s double gave Villa a comfortable advantage. Leon Bailey scored the game’s sixth goal to secure the points at a time when Forest was on the verge of equalizing.
Here are the key takeaways from Villa’s win over Forest…
Emery: It’s Another Valuable Experience.
Villa turned it on when it mattered against Forest, who were susceptible whenever Bailey, Jacob Ramsey, and Watkins had the chance to face up and assault their backline. However, Villa were careless in control at times during the game and were punished for a couple of mistakes either side of the interval.
Emery is as seasoned as they come, and he wasn’t going to nitpick during his news conference; he’ll save it for Monday’s post-match analysis. And as we approach March, outcomes are more important than anything else, specifically three points.
“I’m very happy,” Emery told Sky Sports following full-time. “A wonderful first half; we surrendered one corner and one goal, but we dominated the game.
“We were apprehensive in the second half following the goal, but we answered brilliantly. Douglas Luiz was extremely vital; he controlled the ball, and we controlled the game.
“More than character, I believe it is about being focused on our game plan and attempting to remain cool and control the game like we were doing. Today was a great experience that added to the team’s optimistic vibe.”
When asked about his team’s push for Champions League football, Emery responded: “It is still the same; if we arrive at game 33 in the same position, we may look to Champions League, but for now, it is about being in the top seven positions.” We have to stay positive and focused on each match.”
Emery was animated on the touchline on Saturday, despite Villa taking an early lead and adding two more goals before halftime. Villa were in complete control before the break, but Emery took full advantage of his technical area, yelling his demands and gesticulating throughout the game.
Despite his team’s domination, Emery understands that no matter how strong Villa are in a game, a Premier League team will punish you for errors and complacency. So when Jacob Ramsey strolled into midfield and delivered a bad pass across the pitch that Callum Hudson-Odoi intercepted, Emery sat down on his haunches and yelled at his midfielder for not taking extra precautions deep in his own half.
Matty Cash recovered the position and successfully defended the counter-attack, before Villa went ahead 3-0 thanks to Luiz’s second goal of the game. We’re nearing the end of the season, and Emery understands his squad needs to avoid any mistakes that could undo all of their hard work and preparation for these games.
LUIZ AT THE DOUBLE
The Brazilian midfielder has already scored nine goals in 25 league games this season, all of which have occurred at Villa Park; only two players, Georginio Wijnaldum in 2015-16 (11) and Les Ferdinand in 2000-01 (10) have scored more in a single Premier League season, with all of them coming at home.
Luiz plays as a double pivot, but because Villa prefers to play in the opposition half, he is given the freedom to break forward and contribute when necessary.
When asked about Villa’s dangerous attacking style, Luiz told Premier League Productions: “We train here every day, and the manager helps us a lot. It’s nice to have Ollie and Leon on my team.”
“I simply believe he [Emery] has lifted me; that is the reality. He has told me every day that you must defend and, if you go, score.
Emery added of the 25-year-old, “I’m really thrilled. He is an important player, and we occasionally need him to stay focused and successful on the field. He lost two passes in the middle of the ball at the start of the second half, but he recovered quickly and was a key player for us in the final 30 minutes.”
BAILEY IS TOO HOT TO HANDLE.
Bailey delivered another magnificent performance, cementing his status as one of the Premier League’s most entertaining players this season. Surprisingly, he is averaging one goal contribution per 84 minutes in the league this season.
“It was a good start for us, obviously our performances have not been great at home, but going 3-0 up gave us loads of confidence,” Bailey was quoted as saying by the BBC. “Occasionally from the right, sometimes from the left. There was a lot of space on the right, so I tried to use my speed and quality there.”
“It was critical for us to leave it in the past because the Premier League is challenging. However, things can be turned around quickly.
“I feel good; obviously, I’ve been working to be more consistent.” The job is paying off, and I am really delighted, which gives me great confidence. I can demonstrate my abilities.”
Emery: “He’s demonstrating his abilities and becoming more consistent. He deserves all he’s showing. We want him to continue being more consistent.
McGinn SET THE TONE
When McGinn performs well, as he frequently does, so does Villa. He was unplayable against Forest, a week after delivering another captain’s effort against Fulham.
The Scot completed 39 of the 42 passes he attempted, for a passing accuracy of 93 percent. He produced two chances, one of which Luiz finished to give Villa a 3-0 lead. On the opposite side, McGinn won all of his tackles and seven duels.
McGinn has started all 38 games Villa has played in all competitions, including 26 Premier League games.
KEEP IT ROLLING
After referee Samuel Barrott blew the whistle for full-time, Emery went directly down the tunnel as usual, but not before giving a few fist pumps to the fans in the lower Trinity. Pau Torres, who was substituted at halftime due to a “small pain” on the back of his leg, followed Emery down the tunnel, waving to the fans and allowing himself a modest celebration.
Torres sat on the bench for the remainder of the second quarter after being removed for precautionary reasons. Emery was unconcerned at halftime, claiming that he did not want to risk the centre-back in the second period.
It’s a cliché, but Villa must take each game as it comes until the season’s last game, which hopefully will be in Athens. Yes, they now have an eight-point lead over Manchester United, but a lot can happen in football very rapidly. Trips to Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton are on the horizon, as are games against Wolves and West Ham, not to mention the mouth-watering match against Liverpool in the campaign’s penultimate game.
