Aston Villa faced off against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground earlier today as they hoped to secure a win on the road in the Premier League. The Villans made a bright start to the game and got their noses ahead in the 23rd minute when Murillo scored an unfortunate own goal. However, the home team equalised thanks to Neco Williams’ effort in the 38th minute. The two teams went into the half-time break with a 1-1 scoreline.
Unai Emery’s men struggled to find a winning goal in the second 45 minutes and had to settle for a hard-fought 1-1 draw away from home.
Let’s take a look at how each Aston Villa player fared during the clash against Nottingham Forest.
He made a few solid saves during the game, but there was no clean sheet for him.
RB: Matty Cash – 6.5/10
Cash did his fair share of defending but offered very little going forward.
CB: Victor Lindelof – 6/10
He made one crucial clearance at the back, but failed to impress during his time on the field.
CB: Pau Torres – 6/10
The Spaniard retained the ball well for his team and made one important tackle.
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – APRIL 12: Murillo of Nottingham Forest scores an own goal to give Aston Villa their first goal of the match during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa at City Ground on April 12, 2026 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
LB: Lucas Digne – 7/10
Digne performed his defensive duties well and made two decent chances in the final third.
CM: Amadou Onana – 7/10
He was a positive influence at both ends of the field.
CM: Youri Tielemans – 7/10
Tielemans anchored the midfield well and made two decent chances in the final third.
RW: John McGinn – 7/10
He was a constant menace in the final third, but there was no goal for him.
CAM: Ross Barkley – 7/10
Barkley made a couple of promising runs with the ball but didn’t do enough to find the back of the net.
LW: Morgan Rogers – 6.5/10
He managed to shine at times but was unfortunate to hit the post.
ST: Ollie Watkins – 6/10
Watkins worked hard for his side but failed to register a goal this afternoon.
Substitutes:
CM: Douglas Luiz – 6/10
He struggled to influence the game.
LB: Ian Maatsen – 6.5/10
Maatsen caught the eye at times on the left flank.
