Chris Wood’s penalty earned Nottingham Forest a 1-0 first-leg lead over Aston Villa in the Europa League semi-final at the City Ground, after VAR intervention overturned an initial decision to award Villa a goal-kick.
Lucas Digne was penalised for handball in the box when replays showed the ball was still in play as Omari Hutchinson hooked it against the Frenchman’s raised arm. Wood’s spot-kick was hit too powerfully for Emiliano Martinez to stop, giving Forest the decisive goal.
Martinez had earlier produced a superb stop to deny Igor Jesus, keeping out his volley and gathering the ball before it crossed the line. Villa also had a near miss when Ollie Watkins was denied at point-blank range by Forest goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
Unai Emery’s side largely controlled the tempo for long spells and will believe they did enough to take to Villa Park for the second leg, though Forest enjoyed the night at the City Ground. The Trent End raised a banner celebrating Forest’s European triumphs in 1979 and 1980, as the club and supporters dream of another run to the final in Istanbul on May 20.
Forest head coach Vitor Pereira praised his squad after the match, calling them a “special group” with spirit and resilience, and noted they can now recover and prepare for their Premier League trip to Chelsea.
Emery, meanwhile, was furious about a separate incident in which Elliot Anderson’s challenge on Watkins was not punished. He described the tackle as “close to breaking his ankle” and criticised the VAR for not intervening, calling it a “huge mistake” and demanding an explanation.
The Digne handball will draw less sympathy: the ball looked destined for a goal-kick, but Digne’s raised arms allowed Hutchinson to strike the ball against him — a costly error that decided the tie’s first leg.
Team news saw Forest make changes with Morato and Nicolas Dominguez coming in for the injured Jair Cunha and Ibrahim Sangare, while Amadou Onana replaced Lamare Bogarde for Villa.
Player ratings (selected): Nottingham Forest — Ortega 7, Williams 8, Anderson 8, Jesus 7, Wood 7. Aston Villa — Martinez 7, Tielemans 7, Watkins 6, Digne 5. Player of the match: Neco Williams.
Elsewhere in the semi-finals, Braga defeated Freiburg 2-1 in the first leg in Portugal.
Looking ahead, Aston Villa travel to face relegation rivals Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday (7pm), while Forest visit Chelsea on Monday (kick-off 3pm).