Aston Villa swept aside Nottingham Forest 4-0 at Villa Park to win the semi-final 4-1 on aggregate and book a place in the Europa League final in Istanbul against Freiburg.
Ollie Watkins levelled the tie in the first half after Emiliano Buendía’s clever piece of play created the opening, then Buendía converted a VAR-awarded penalty early in the second half to put Unai Emery’s side in control. John McGinn sealed the night with a late double as Forest faded under increasing pressure.
Forest arrived at Villa Park with a one-goal advantage from the first leg and were unbeaten in five, while Villa had lost three on the spin. Emery’s team, though, produced the performance to overturn the deficit and progress to a first major European final for the club since 1982.
How the tie turned
From the off Villa attacked the Holte End, the home crowd driving the intensity. Buendía — lively all evening — skipped past two defenders before teeing up Watkins, whose finish levelled the aggregate score and lifted the stadium.
Early in the second half a VAR review spotted a shirt pull by Nikola Milenković on Pau Torres in the box; Buendía stepped up and scored from the spot to put Villa 2-0 ahead on the night and 3-1 overall. Any hope of a Forest comeback was extinguished when John McGinn, introduced after missing the previous league game, finished twice in a 156-second spell to complete a convincing 4-0 victory.
Team news and key performers
Emery made one change from the first leg, bringing Victor Lindelof into midfield to replace the injured Amadou Onana — a selection that proved inspired. Buendía was named player of the match for his creativity and for converting the penalty. Watkins also impressed, while Lindelof’s midfield display earned widespread praise.
Player ratings highlights (selected): Buendía (9, player of the match), Watkins (9), Lindelof (9), McGinn (8).
Forest, for whom Morgan Gibbs-White was an unused substitute, struggled to find solutions as injuries limited Vítor Pereira’s options. Pereira said afterwards that the squad’s lack of fully fit players left them without the necessary resources to compete over two legs, and he expressed frustration at having brought only a few players in adequate condition off the bench.
Reaction and context
Emery will now be one match away from a fifth Europa League triumph — he has previously won the competition three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal. After some recent criticism, this night was a reaffirmation of his record in the tournament.
Prince William visited the dressing room after the match and celebrated on the touchline during Buendía’s penalty, an appearance Emery described warmly at his post-match press conference.
Captain John McGinn, reflecting on the occasion, said the players refused to be “nearly men” and now want to go to Istanbul and become “legends,” referencing the club’s proud history and long wait for major silverware. Ollie Watkins praised Emery’s preparation and urged the side to go to the final and win.
Notable stats and milestones
– Villa will contest their first major European final since the 1982 European Cup final.
– The 4-0 scoreline was the biggest margin of victory by an English side over another English club in European competition and the largest semi-final win in the Europa League since Manchester United’s 6-2 win over Roma in 2020-21.
– Emery has now reached six major European finals, all in the Europa League.
– McGinn’s two goals came 156 seconds apart, making him the first Villa player to score a brace in a major European semi-final.
– Watkins and McGinn have both scored 11 goals in major European competitions for Villa, the joint-most for the club.
What’s next
Aston Villa’s next fixture is a Premier League trip to already-relegated Burnley on Sunday, May 10. Nottingham Forest return to league action at home to Newcastle on the same day as they continue their fight for survival.
Vítor Pereira acknowledged his team’s brave run to the semi-final but warned that injuries had left them short of the depth needed to challenge Villa over the two legs. Despite the disappointment, he praised his players and supporters and urged focus on the remaining Premier League fixtures.