Nottingham Forest 1 Aston Villa 0: Unai Emery's men lose in first leg

Villa have work to do if they are to avoid suffering semi-final heartache for a third straight season.

Chris Wood’s penalty means it is Nottingam Forest who have a one-goal, after the first installment of his Europa League last-four tie.

The former Albion striker blasted home from the spot in the 71st minute after Lucas Digne had been guilty of a daft handball as the home side edged a nervy, yet engrossing encounter at the City Ground.

Emi Martinez, at the same stadium he produced the stop to win Premier League save of the season a year ago, had earlier produced an equally miraculous stop to prevent Igor Jesus opening the scoring in the first half.

Wood gave him no chance with the penalty and it is Forest who will go to next week’s second leg at Villa Park with the advantage.

The tie is a long way from over but Villa will need to find their shooting boots if they are to progress.

In a match of few clear cut chances, their best fell to Ollie Watkins but from six yards out he could only steer a volley straight at Stefan Ortega.

The latter also denied Morgan Rogers with a diving save in the first half.

Villa are a long way from out of the tie but will feel frustrated. Other than the penalty, Forest did not create a chance of note in the second half.

Things might have been different had Forest midfielder Elliott Anderson been shown a red card in the first half for a sliding challenge which caught Watkins on the ankle.

Emery was left raging at the decision by VAR not to intervene.

Villa, who saw a nine-match winning run in European football come to an end, should have no shortage of fuel for motivation next week.

This was Villa’s second European semi-final in three seasons but Forest’s first since 1984 and the atmosphere at kick-off was predictably loud.

Amadou Onana had recovered from his knee injury to make the side and made his presence felt early, snapping into a challenge which saw the ball fall to Tielemans. His shot from distance was pushed wide by Ortega.

It was an encouraging start by Villa but Forest were always going to come into it. Lucas Digne did well to block a cross from the busy Omari Hutchinson, while one which did get behind the first man was headed wide by Morgan Gibbs-White.

It was frenetic stuff and Portuguese referee Joao Pinheiro was happy to let the game flow. A sliding challenge by Anderson, which caught Watkins on the ankle, went unpunished and was not considered worthy of review by VAR.

Meanwhile, there was space for Villa in attack. A misplaced pass set Watkins running and when the ball was worked to Rogers, Ortega needed to be at full stretch to prevent his curling shot finding the bottom corner.

It was an impressive stop, yet nothing compared to what Martinez was about to produce at the other end.

Anderson chipped a pass into the path of Gibbs-White, who sent it back across goal. Jesus had almost started to celebrate as the ball passed Martinez but the keeper somehow got his left hand to take the speed out of the shot, before clawing the ball away from the line with his other.

Forest supporters who had witnessed his heroics to keep out Dominguez’s effort the previous season will have been rubbing their eyes in disbelief.

Villa lost Onana in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, the midfielder limping out of the action to be replaced by Lamare Bogarde.

But it was the visitors who then went close to taking the lead. Rogers lifted a cross toward Watkins but the latter’s volleyed finish from six yards out was straight at Ortega.

It felt a big moment, even more so when Forest took the lead with a goal which felt like it came from nowhere.

Hutchinson showed great commitment to reach a ball which was heading out of play and his scoop back hit the arm of Digne, which the defender had raised over his head.

Villa’s concern was initially allayed by a raised assistant’s flag, with the official deeming the whole ball had crossed the line.

But replays suggested it may not have and after a VAR check, referee Pinheiro agreed, pointing to the spot.

Wood gave Martinez no chance to be the hero again, blasting the penalty into the top corner.

Villa pushed but could not find a leveller, Tielemans blasting over from the edge of the box.

Forest (4-2-3-1): Ortega, Aina (Abbott 75), Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Hutchinson, Dominguez, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Jesus (Yates 90), Wood Subs not used: Lucca, McAtee, Bakwa, Whitehall, Sinclair, Hanks, Blake, Sels (gk), Willows (gk).

Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne (Maatsen 79), Tielemans, Onana (Bogarde 54), McGinn (Luiz 79), Rogers, Buendia (Sancho 79), Watkins Subs not used: Lindelof, Mings, Garcia, Bailey, Elliott, Abraham, Bizot (gk), Wright (gk).