Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest

Villa Park stayed goalless at the break on Saturday, 12 September 2026, as Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest cancelled each other out in a tense opening half. Neither side could find a breakthrough, and it felt like the game was waiting for something to give. That something came after the interval, when Forest found a bit more sharpness and belief, turning a cagey afternoon into a fight for Villa. The visitors made their move in the second half, grabbing two goals to turn the contest on its head before Villa pulled one back late on. It finished 1-2, enough to send Forest back up the motorway with all three points. For Villa, it's a frustrating home defeat after a promising first-half display, while Forest will take real encouragement from how they adjusted and took control when it mattered most.

Aston Villa 1-2 Nottingham Forest was the final score at Villa Park, in a game where Nottingham Forest did enough across the ninety minutes to deserve the three points. Even without the extra share of possession, which finished 53% in favour of Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest made the most of the chances that mattered and did enough to see the game out. The shot count told a similar story, with 7 attempts from Aston Villa against 22 from Nottingham Forest over the course of the game. It was not always comfortable for Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa pushed for a way back into the game, but the result stood. Games like this can carry real weight later in the season, so this is a scoreline worth remembering. Below is a closer look at how the match broke down, statistically.