McGinn double shatters Forest resistance to match historic Villa Park record | OneFootball

Aston Villa returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion as goals from Ollie Watkins and a John McGinn double secured a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park.

The result marked Villa’s 11th consecutive home win across all competitions, their longest such run in 36 years, and provided a swift response to the heavy defeat suffered at Arsenal earlier in the week.

Watkins continued his recent revival by opening the scoring in first-half stoppage time, celebrating his 250th appearance for the club with his fourth goal in three matches.

The England striker had been denied earlier by an outstanding save from goalkeeper John Victor, but he made no mistake when he turned smartly on the edge of the area and drove a powerful effort into the net.

Villa had dominated the contest long before taking the lead, controlling possession and territory as Forest struggled to establish any sustained foothold.

Their pressure told again shortly after the restart when McGinn doubled the advantage with a composed first-time finish from Matty Cash’s low cross.

The midfielder had been rested in midweek and brought fresh energy to Villa’s attack, repeatedly unsettling a Forest defence that looked increasingly fragile.

Forest briefly offered a response when Morgan Gibbs-White raced through to lift a delicate finish over Emiliano Martinez and reduce the deficit to 2-1.

Any hopes of a comeback were short-lived, however, as Forest’s defensive lapses resurfaced at a crucial moment.

Goalkeeper John Victor misjudged a long pass by racing out of his area, allowing McGinn to calmly roll the ball into an empty net from distance to restore Villa’s two-goal cushion.

The third goal summed up Forest’s afternoon, defined by poor decision-making and costly errors at key stages of the game.

Villa, by contrast, managed the closing stages with assurance, limiting Forest to speculative efforts and preserving their commanding home record.

Unai Emery’s side moved further clear in the top end of the table as a result, underlining their growing consistency and resilience.

Forest’s defeat was their fourth straight league loss, deepening the pressure on a side now hovering uncomfortably above the relegation zone.

The visitors rarely threatened beyond isolated moments and were fortunate not to fall behind earlier given Villa’s early dominance.

The performance reinforced Villa’s strength at Villa Park and their ability to respond decisively after setbacks.

It was another sobering reminder of the issues that continue to undermine Forest’s campaign as they head into a crucial run of fixtures.