Aston Villa 1-2 Nottingham Forest: Oliver Glasner masterminds another win over Unai Emery
Report and free match highlights as Aston Villa remain without a league win this season; Oliver Glasner got his first victory as Nottingham Forest boss with Igor Jesus netting a late winner
Saturday 12 September 2026 18:08, UK
Nottingham Forest beat Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park to leave Unai Emery's side still searching for their first Premier League victory of the season.
Once again, Oliver Glasner got the better of Emery, who remains winless in eight matches against the Austrian.
Liam Delap went some way to paying back his £50m fee as he fired Forest in front after just 45 seconds of the second half.
Villa needed inspiration and Emery turned to his new signings Johan Manzambi and Ibrahim Mbaye. The changes injected much-needed energy into the hosts and they were rewarded when Alysson struck his first goal for the club to level.
At that point, momentum appeared to be swinging Villa's way.
However, with 10 minutes remaining, Ian Maatsen was forced off after hobbling badly. Villa had already used all their substitutes, leaving them with 10 men for the closing stages.
Forest sensed an opportunity and they took it.
With just two minutes remaining, Igor Jesus found the decisive finish to send the travelling Forest supporters wild.
Emery is having to rebuild following a turbulent summer, where a host of key players were sold, but progress is slow. The result leaves Villa with just one point from their first four games and in the bottom three.
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The key moments from Villa Park…
- 9: HOW DID VILLA NOT SCORE!? Victor Lindelof is somehow denied by the post and a goal-line save from Mats Sels.
- 45: BIG CHANCE FOR FOREST! The away side wait for their moment and hit on the break but Neco Williams blazes over after a brilliant pass from James McAtee.
- 46: GOAL! With their first attack after the break, Forest take the lead as Delap thumps one home from 25 yards.
- 59: CHANCE FOR NDOYE! Forest keep the pressure on but can't find a second goal with Dan Ndoye being denied by a goal-saving block from Tyrone Mings.
- 64: SUBS! Emery introduces Manzambi and Mbaye from the bench to spark Villa into life.
- 73: GOAL! McGinn provides the quality from the win and Alysson flicks home a neat header.
- 80: INJURY! With the game in the balance, McAtee's challenge on Maatsen leaves him unable to continue and Villa had already made all their changes.
- 88: GOAL! Forest sense their opportunity and a wonderful move down the right ends with Gibbs-White flicking one to Jesus who rolls home the winner.
Emery fumes over McAtee tackle on Maatsen: 'It's a red card'
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery speaking to Sky Sports said:
"We played the first half like we planned, we dominate, we didn't concede so much. We didn't score, but we were playing in the way we wanted. The second half, completely different. I don't know why, but we started so poor. They scored and they were creating chances.
"We corrected it and in that moment maybe we should keep the same way we were, but we couldn't. And the injury of Ian Maatsen was a key moment because the tackle was strong. And we were finishing the last 15 minutes with one player less for one tackle and they were playing with 11. For me, VAR should be there. I think it's a red card.
"If I was in the VAR and I was a referee, it was a red card."
