Latest Nottingham Forest verdict as Vitor Pereira's Reds draw 1-1 with Aston Villa in Premier League clash
15:57, 12 Apr 2026
Nottingham Forest's Neco Williams celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game
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Nottingham Forest's Neco Williams celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game
Neco Williams’ equaliser secured a potentially valuable point for Nottingham Forest in their relegation battle as they drew 1-1 with Aston Villa at the City Ground.
Unbeaten in four in all competitions ahead of kick-off, the Reds went into the game with a bit of momentum behind them. There remains little margin for error in an incredibly tight battle for Premier League survival, however.
Forest made a positive start to a feisty affair on the banks of the Trent. But they fell behind with little more than 20 minutes gone through a Murillo own goal, with the Brazilian inadvertently turning the ball into his own net from Morgan Rogers’ left-hand cross.
Matz Sels kept out Ollie Watkins soon after, while Rogers rattled the bar after the half-hour mark as the visitors looked to turn the screw. It was threatening to be a long afternoon for the Reds, but Williams drew them back level in the 38th minute as he swept the ball into the bottom corner after being teed up by Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Williams was fired up and tested Marco Bizot just before the break. Igor Jesus then squandered a couple of opportunities after the restart, while Morgan Gibbs-White was denied just past the hour.
Sels had already saved from Amadou Onana by that point, then made an excellent save to thwart John McGinn. Villa remained a threat and they could have retaken the lead with 25 minutes to go, but Rogers missed a gilt-edged chance from close range.
Watkins did the same heading into the final 10 minutes as the visitors pushed for a winner but Forest held on for what could prove to be a crucial point. Here’s how Reds reporter Sarah Clapson rated the Forest players at the City Ground.
Matz Sels: Pereira continues to trust the Belgian in the league, despite Stefan Ortega putting in a man of the match display in Europa on Thursday night. Repaid his manager’s faith by making some vital saves. Rating: 8.5/10
Ola Aina: Might have been a bit more alert to the Villa danger at times. The visitors created plenty of chances and looked a threat whenever they pushed forward. Seemed spent when he came off. Rating: 7/10
Nikola Milenkovic: Back line was certainly put under pressure by the visitors. Forest will not be happy with how the opening goal was worked and they were almost caught out on a few more occasions. Rating: 7.5/10
Murillo: A bit unfortunate with the own goal as some of his teammates needed to be more switched on before it reached the Brazilian. Defence overall had a few nervy moments during a challenging afternoon. Rating: 7/10
Neco Williams: Can always rely on the Welshman to stand up and be counted. Put his World Cup heartbreak behind him with a terrific display. Lovely goal and could have had a couple more, too. Rating: 9/10
Ibrahim Sangare: A testing afternoon for Forest’s midfield duo. Certainly wasn’t an easy game and the Ivory Coast man and Anderson didn’t have it all their own way. Wasn’t for the want of trying, though. Rating: 7/10
Elliot Anderson: Kept battling and trying to get on the ball, even when things were not going his way. Not necessarily a classic performance from the England international but didn’t shy away from getting involved. Rating: 7/10
Omari Hutchinson: With better end product and greater strength, the former Ipswich Town winger could have had a big impact on this game. But the delivery wasn’t there and he was pushed off the ball too easily more than once. Rating: 5/10
Morgan Gibbs-White: Close to getting on the scoresheet in the second half with a deflected effort which the keeper then saved with his feet. Commitment was there and was involved in some nice passages of play. Rating: 6.5/10
Callum Hudson-Odoi: Matty Cash picking up an early booking presented a real opportunity for the wide man to put pressure on the Villa right-back. Set up Williams for the leveller but might have had more joy down that flank. Rating: 5.5/10
Igor Jesus: Wasn’t the front man’s day. Chances were always likely to be few and far between against Villa, so he really needed to make more of the ones that came his way. Rating: 5/10
Subs
Chris Wood (for Hutchinson, 65mins): Got the City Ground crowd going when he came on for his first Premier League appearance in almost six months. Valuable minutes to build up sharpness. Rating: 6/10
Nicolas Dominguez (for Gibbs-White, 83mins): Added a bit of bite to the centre of the pitch in the closing stages. Faces a fight to get into the XI in the league. Rating: 6/10
Ryan Yates (for Jesus, 89mins): Brought on to help see out the closing minutes as Pereira clearly saw value in a point. Will be pleased with the draw. Rating: 6/10
Dan Ndoye (for Aina, 89mins): Didn’t get long enough to make any real impact on the game. Might get another chance in the Europa League next week. Rating: 6/10
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Subs not used: Ortega, Morato, McAtee, Netz, Bakwa.
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