Watkins Marks Milestone as Villa Tighten Top-Four Grip

Forest slide deeper into relegation trouble

Ollie Watkins marked his 250th appearance for Aston Villa with a goal as Unai Emery’s side claimed a convincing 3-1 home win over a struggling Nottingham Forest. The result extended Villa’s remarkable run at Villa Park and underlined their growing authority in the race for Champions League qualification.

Watkins’ strike, his fourth in three matches over the festive period, set the tone for Villa’s 11th consecutive home victory. Second-half goals from John McGinn, including a stunning long-range effort, sealed the points and moved Villa back into second place in the Premier League.

Villa dominate but made to wait

Watkins almost opened the scoring inside two minutes. Morgan Rogers won the ball in the box and the striker found himself six yards out, but Forest goalkeeper John Victor spread himself well to block the effort.

Villa controlled possession and territory for long spells, yet Forest’s deep defensive line frustrated the hosts. Despite sustained pressure, clear chances were limited and Forest occasionally looked dangerous on the counter-attack.

Emiliano Martínez was forced into action on the half-hour when Nico Dominguez broke through midfield and set up Omari Hutchinson, but the Villa goalkeeper reacted sharply to keep the score level.

Watkins provides the breakthrough

With the first half drifting towards a stalemate, Villa finally found the moment of quality they needed in stoppage time. Watkins received the ball from Rogers, turned quickly and fired a powerful shot from 20 yards that beat John Victor and flew into the top corner.

It was a fitting goal on a landmark occasion and a huge psychological boost just before the interval.

McGinn takes control after the break

Villa carried that momentum into the second half and doubled their lead within three minutes of the restart. Boubacar Kamara switched play to Matty Cash, whose cross found McGinn arriving in the box to finish confidently from close range.

Forest briefly gave themselves hope when Morgan Gibbs-White went untracked and lifted a composed finish over Martínez after being released by Ola Aina. However, any belief was short-lived.

Long-range strike ends it

McGinn sealed the win in the 73rd minute with a moment Forest will want to forget. Goalkeeper John rushed out to meet a through-ball but failed to make contact, allowing McGinn to control and curl a 35-yard effort into the empty net.

The defeat leaves Forest with four straight losses and growing relegation fears, while Villa continue to build momentum at a crucial stage of the season.