Aston Villa 1 Nottingham Forest 2: Late goal downs Unai Emery's men

Villa’s rough start to the Premier League season continued as they were beaten at home by Nottingham Forest.

Substitute Igor Jesus’ 88th minute goal earned the East Midlands club a first win at Villa Park since 1994.

Villa had looked set for at least a point after Alysson had cancelled out Liam Delap’s opener.

But an injury to Ian Maatsen meant Villa had to play the closing stages with 10 men and Jesus made the breakthrough as Forest took the points.

Analysis

Maatsen was hurt after being brought down in full flight by James McAtee and Villa were left a man down, with Unai Emery having used all five of his substitutions by the 63rd minute.

One of those came in the first half when Pau Torres went down with injury, while Nicolas Jackson and George Hemmings came off at the break.

The final changes came when Villa were trying to get back some control after a nightmare start to the second half which saw Forest take the lead and threaten to be out of sight.

Alysson’s first goal for the club - and Villa’s first in the league this season - appeared to have set up the platform for victory but Maatsen’s injury swung things in Forest’s favour and they took advantage.

The defeat also continued Emery’s rotten record against Forest boss Oliver Glasner, who he has now failed to beat in eight attempts.

Villa’s search for a first Premier League goal should have ended inside the opening 10 minutes.

A deflected cross fell for Victor Lindelof and his finish, heading wide, hit the boot of Murillo and was just about kept out by Matz Sels, who scrambled it onto the post. Murillo tried to clear but only succeeded in directing the ball straight back to Lindelof, who from now no more than three yards out struck his finish straight into the chest of the keeper.

Forest first threatened through McAtee, whose shot from distance nicked off a defender and was well held by Villa keeper Zion Suzuki.

The visitors were finding their feet and Morgan Gibbs-White should have done better than shoot straight at Suzuki after quick passing had created the chance.

With half-time approaching, Forest carved out their best opening so far when the ball was worked to Neco Williams but with time to pick his spot from just inside the box, he sent the finish well over the bar.

By that point Villa had lost Pau Torres to injury and there were a further two changes at the break, Alysson and Tammy Abraham replacing George Hemmings and Nicolas Jackson.

But if that was meant to kickstart Villa, it had the opposite effect. Within a minute of the restart, Forest had the lead, Delap pouncing on a mistake by Boubacar Kamara and unleashing a low shot into the bottom corner from outside the box.

Having taken the lead the visitors then threatened to run away with the game. Ndoye sent two chances off target before seeing another blocked by Tyrone Mings. Delap headed into the side-netting before seeing a second goal chalked off for a marginal offside.

Emery called for the cavalry, introducing both Manzambi and Mbaye for the final half-hour.

The latter forced Sels into his first serious work since the early stages with a drive the keeper pushed round the post.

From the corner, Villa were level, McGinn whipping in the cross for an unmarked Alysson to head into the bottom corner.

Emery would have hoped his team now had the platform to push on for victory but momentum swung again with 10 minutes remaining when Maatsen was hurt by a challenge from McAtee which earned the Forest man a yellow card.

That meant Villa, who had made all their changes, had to finish the match a man down.

Suzuki saved twice, first from Daniel Munoz and then from Xaver Schlager. But he was beaten when Gibbs-White touched on Munoz’s cross and Jesus finished low inside the post.

Key Moments

46 GOAL Liam Delap fires Forest ahead, finding the bottom corner from outside the box.

74 GOAL Villa are level. Alysson heads home John McGinn’s cross.

88 GOAL Igor Jesus wins it for Forest.

Teams

Villa (4-2-3-1): Suzuki, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Torres (Mings 25), Maatsen, Barkley (Mbaye 63), Kamara, McGinn, Buendia (Manzambi 63), Hemmings (Alysson HT), Jackson (Abraham HT) Subs: Ruggeri, Garnacho, Bogarde, Bizot (gk).

Forest (3-4-2-1): Sels, Aina, Diomande, Murillo, Munoz, Schlager, McAtee (Sangare 82), Williams, Ndoye (Jesus 75), Gibbs-White, Delap (Wood 90+1) Subs not used: Hudson-Odoi, Dominguez, Kalimuendo, Yates, Netz, Victor (gk).