Aston Villa (4) 4-0 (1) Nottingham Forest: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Villans book place in Europa League final

Aston Villa ran riot astatine Villa Park connected Thursday night, beating Nottingham Forest 4-0 to assertion a 4-1 aggregate triumph and publication their spot successful the Europa League final.

Aston Villa produced an electric, ascendant first-half performance, pinning Nottingham Forest wrong their fractional for ample durations, and the Villans were rewarded for their unit erstwhile Ollie Watkins scored the opener 10 minutes earlier the break, levelling the necktie connected aggregate.

Unai Emery's broadside turned up the vigor adjacent further successful the 2nd half, with Emiliano Buendia scoring the 2nd conscionable earlier the hr mark, followed by a brace wrong 3 minutes from John McGinn, sealing a 4-0 second-leg triumph and booking their spot successful the Europa League final.

Aston Villa's archetypal European last successful 44 years volition spot them look Freiburg successful the Europa League last successful Istanbul.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

If determination was immoderate manager successful Europa League past you would privation successful complaint to overturn a shortage successful a semi-final second-leg, it would undoubtedly beryllium Emery - and helium proved precisely wherefore tonight. 

No manager has won this contention much than the Spaniard, having been crowned champion 4 times, and Emery is present 1 measurement distant from claiming a 5th rubric with Aston Villa.

The Villans, buoyed by the thunderous ambiance wrong Villa Park, outclassed and outworked their opponents tonight, pinning Nottingham Forest backmost and not allowing them to antagonistic passim the clash.

While recognition indispensable spell to Emery, who got his tactical decisions spot on, Nottingham Forest were miles disconnected the pace, hardly laying a mitt connected the Villans crossed the full duration of the game.

Ultimately, Aston Villa were undeniably the deserved winners of the semi-final, and they volition present statesman preparations for the Europa League last successful Istanbul astatine the extremity of the month, successful which they volition look Freiburg.

ASTON VILLA VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST HIGHLIGHTS

Ollie Watkins extremity vs. Nottingham Forest (36th min, Aston Villa 1-0 Nottingham Forest)

Aston Villa gully level successful the tie!

Emiliano Buendia picks the shot up and drives into the box, stunningly skipping betwixt 2 defenders and getting to the byline. 

Buendia delays the transportation and past fires into the six-yard box, wherever Watkins meets the transverse and finishes into the extortion of the net.

Emiliano Buendia extremity vs. Nottingham Forest (58th min, Aston Villa 2-0 Nottingham Forest)

Buendia puts Aston Villa up connected aggregate!

The referee is sent to the surface and yet awards Aston Villa a punishment for a foul by Nikola Milenkovic, with Buendia fixed the work from the spot.

Buendia dilatory runs up and calmly slots into the bottommost close corner, giving Stefan Ortega nary chance.

John McGinn extremity vs. Nottingham Forest (77th min, Aston Villa 3-0 Nottingham Forest)

McGinn surely sends Aston Villa to the last successful Istanbul!

Pau Torres smashes a agelong shot guardant to Morgan Rogers, who knocks the shot down to Watkins and past retired to McGinn successful acres of abstraction connected the close flank. 

McGinn arcs his tally to acceptable up the onslaught connected his near ft and past bends a debased effort past Ortega into the bottommost close corner.

John McGinn extremity vs. Nottingham Forest (80th min, Aston Villa 4-0 Nottingham Forest)

Two goals successful a substance of minutes from McGinn!

Rogers picks up the ball, turns and starts driving towards the Nottingham Forest punishment area. 

Rogers slides the shot crossed to McGinn successful a akin presumption to his archetypal goal, and this clip the skipper expertly slots into the adjacent corner.

MAN OF THE MATCH - EMILIANO BUENDIA

European nights similar these request large performances from large players, and Buendia delivered precisely that for Aston Villa tonight. 

The Argentinian skilfully created the archetypal goal, weaving betwixt 2 defenders and picking retired Watkins, earlier demonstrating large composure to enactment the Villans up connected aggregate from the punishment spot.

Buendia not lone delivered a extremity and assist, but besides created the astir chances (four) and had the astir touches successful the absorption container (nine), portion besides completing 2 dribbles and winning 8 duels - a existent all-action performance.

While Buendia was the prime of the bunch, each of Aston Villa's attackers delivered tonight, with Nottingham Forest incapable to unrecorded with the prime connected amusement from Buendia, Watkins, Morgan Rogers and John McGinn.

ASTON VILLA VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST MATCH STATS

Possession: Aston Villa 51%-49% Nottingham Forest

Shots: Aston Villa 18-7 Nottingham Forest

Shots connected target: Aston Villa 10-2 Nottingham Forest

Corners: Aston Villa 6-3 Nottingham Forest

Fouls: Aston Villa 13-12 Nottingham Forest

BEST STATS

1+1 - Emiliano Buendía is the archetypal subordinate to some people and assistance successful a UEFA Europa League semi-final lucifer for an English nine since some Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani for Manchester United v Roma successful April 2021. Moment. pic.twitter.com/hBw7oReO9S

WHAT NEXT?

Aston Villa came from 1-0 down to triumph 4-1 connected aggregate acknowledgment to tonight's victory, meaning they person acceptable up a clash against Freiburg successful the Europa League last successful Istanbul aboriginal this month.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest volition person to rapidly enactment the disappointment of elimination down them