Nottingham Forest uncover two-player axis to avoid relegation in Aston Villa draw | OneFootball

A point which would have been a decent one no matter the result at the Stadium of Light became a very good one for Nottingham Forest as Nordi Mukiele’s deflected strike for Sunderland denied Tottenham a new-manager bounce under Roberto De Zerbi.

Forest now have a three-point cushion over 18th-placed Spurs with six games to play after a hard-fought draw with Aston Villa at the City Ground which offered hope of Vitor Pereira’s side uncovering a well-trodden path to beat the drop.

“It was a good point in a difficult game against a very difficult opponent,” Pereira said. “Opportunities from one side, opportunities form the other. In the end one point I think is a good result.

“Villa is a team not easy to control. They create some problems, you try to face the problems and create our own chances. After the goal it’s the character, confidence, spirit. We scored our goal and had chances to score more goals, and they did as well.

“When we decided to bring on another striker we wanted to win the game. Three points would be better than one. We try, but facing a strong team means in the end we need five games without losing. We are in the right way with the right spirit. It’s important to get points every game until the end.”

Neco Williams further staked his claim as one of the finest full-backs in the Premier League with his bullet into the bottom corner to earn the point for Forest after Murillo’s own goal put Villa in front. How many games might he have played for boyhood club Liverpool this season had he stayed?

Pereira was also delighted to see Chris Wood return to Premier League action for the first time since October.

He added: “His experience, quality, scoring goals, he smells the goals in the box. His physical and mental condition. He has the ability to help us.”

Palace would likely have won this game had the New Zealand international started ahead of Igor Jesus, who prompted Callum Hudson-Odoi to fling his arms up in the air in frustration when he fluffed a simple header at the back post and spooned a shot from bang in the centre of the goal over the bar after Youri Tielemans had ceded possession.

And Forest fans will have been buoyed by the prospect of what a Williams-Wood axis might provide them in the weeks to come after one of several devilish corner deliveries from the Welsh full-back found Wood in the box after the striker leapt head and shoulders above floundering Villa defenders.

He couldn’t direct his header but there’s little doubt that after switching Williams to take corners ahead of Elliot Anderson in a bid to make better use of set pieces reaped reward in the 3-0 win over Tottenham, the addition of Wood to that dead-ball mix makes that an even more profitable avenue for Forest in a relegation battle they’re already winning.