Aston Villa 2-1 Nottingham Forest result - Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen goals secure Premier League win for home side

Goals from Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen were enough for Aston Villa to secure their seventh consecutive win in all competitions, as they beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 at Villa Park on Saturday.

The home side took the lead within 13 minutes when Youri Tielemans found Rogers, who timed his run to perfection, with an inch-perfect ball to slot home into the bottom-right corner.

Villa doubled their lead just 138 seconds later as Malen squeezed in front of Neco Williams to tap home Ian Maatsen’s cross into the box as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side failed to get a foothold on the game against a team with just one defeat in 15 home games.

Despite solo efforts from Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi in the first half, it was the home side who would head in at the break with a 2-0 advantage.

Forest edged close to getting a goal back when Williams and Hudson-Odoi fired wide of the far post just after the break, but it was substitute Jota Silva, who would pull a goal back for Forest in the 57th minute, as he turned and fired a low shot past Emiliano Martinez.

Both sides had opportunities to add to the scoreline as the game went on, with Murillo hitting the crossbar and Marcus Rashford attempting to chip his effort over Matz Sels in stoppage time, but it was Villa who held on for victory on home turf.

Next up, Aston Villa return to UEFA Champions League action as they face PSG on Wednesday, April 9, live on TNT Sports and discovery+ before a Premier League tie against strugglers Southampton on Saturday, April 12. Nottingham Forest will take on Everton in the league on Saturday, April 12.

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Speaking to Sky Sports following his side's 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa, Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo said his team showed a "better game" in the second half, after a poor start to the contest at Villa Park.

He said: "We didn't start well, Villa controlled chances. Second half was different, we had the chances but we couldn't score. First half was not good, we were not organised.

"We tried to find solutions. The boys showed a better game.

"This is the game. It was one of the matches that we created the most but didn't take anything from the game.

"When you lose you don't recover so well, the miles come to your mind. It's always easy when you are in a good moment. Now is not so good, requires a bit of patience."

Morgan Rogers netted his eighth league goal of the season as he helped Aston Villa to a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest, ahead of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against PSG.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Rogers said: "It's a nice moment, it was a big game. We knew we had to start fast. We knew this game was a must win and we took it as that.

"First half we were outstanding - our energy, our quality. We knew they'd come back into the game, but to withstand their pressure is massive for us.

"The belief is massive right now."

A thrilling encounter between the two sides vying for a place in Europe next season saw Aston Villa forced to grit their teeth and fend off a heroic Forest comeback.

Two goals in the space of 138 seconds from Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen put Villa 2-0 ahead within 15 minutes as they took a deserved lead in the first half.

But a change at half-time from Nuno Espirito Santo's side with Jota Silva replacing Anthony Elanga spurred the away team to pull one back, with the substitute getting on the end of Neco Williams' cross into the box.

Despite end-to-end action from both sides, Unai Emery's side held strong to deny Nottingham Forest their first victory at Villa Park since 1994.

With Arsenal dropping points against Everton and being held to a draw, Forest had the opportunity to close the gap on second place to two points but it was instead Aston Villa who moved level on points with Manchester City and within a point of fourth place.

It's all over!

Villa have done enough to deny Nottingham Forest a point on the road.

But just like that, Villa are down the other end with Marcus Rashford. He looks to chip his shot over Matz Sels but remarkably, the Forest goalkeeper is able to get back in time to deny him.

It's an extraordinary effort from Murillo, who fires from distance and sees his effort denied by the crossbar.

He can't quite believe how close he's gone with that attempt.

Four more for Villa to defend this lead.

Four more minutes for Forest to claim a point.

Which will it be?

The Villa goalkeeper is then booked for time-wasting with the goal-kick.

Jota Silva is free on goal to heads goalwards from inside the box but it's a massive save from Emi Martinez.

The flag does go up for the Forest player afterwards.

And it's end to end stuff.

This time it's Neco Williams who fires a low effort towards Emi Martinez's back post but it rolls narrowly wide and there's no Forest player able to tap home.

And we're back down the other end of the pitch as Villa look to make it three and finish off the game.

Boubacar Kamara is the Villa player as he sees his curling shot miss the target.

Elliot Anderon is the next player to try his luck in front of goal as he fires on the edge of the box but he's unable to find the target and it's a little too high and wide of the goal.

Ramon Sosa and Willy Boly are the players to come on in place of Morato and Nicolas Dominguez.

John McGinn replaces Marco Asensio.

He's been part of it all since he came on at half-time and he's the next player to go into the book after a nasty challenge.

Youri Tielemans attempts a volley inside the box but it's another great save from Matz Sels to deny the Villa player.

Emi Martinez finds Morgan Rogers from a goal-kick, who strides forward from the half-way line. He dodges Milenkovic, who has been able to follow him but Sels is able to smother the ball and deny Villa a third.

It's a triple change for Villa as Jacob Ramsey, Boubacar Kamara and Marcus Rashford are coming on.

Ollie Watkins, Amadou Onana and Donyell Malen are the players to depart the field of play.