Aston Villa delivered a powerful response to their midweek defeat, securing a commanding 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Saturday, January 3, 2026. The win, fueled by a second-half brace from captain John McGinn, provisionally catapulted Unai Emery's side into second place in the Premier League table.
Villa Park Fortress Stands Strong
The hosts shook off the disappointment of Tuesday's loss to league leaders Arsenal, which ended an 11-match winning streak, by clinching their 11th consecutive home victory in all competitions. They have not lost at their famous ground since August. The three points lifted Villa one point above third-placed Manchester City, who play Chelsea on Sunday.
"We wanted to show a wee bit of reaction, maybe the start of another 11-game winning run… we’ve made (our home) a fortress," a delighted McGinn told Sky Sports after the match, celebrating his first-ever brace in the English top flight.
Watkins Breaks Deadlock Before McGinn Takes Over
Villa dominated proceedings from the outset, enjoying 77.8% possession in the first half. They were denied an early lead only by a sharp save from Forest goalkeeper John Victor, who stuck out a foot to stop Ollie Watkins from close range in the second minute.
However, Watkins' persistence paid off in first-half stoppage time. Found by Morgan Rogers at the edge of the box, the England striker fired home with his right foot, beating a diving Victor. It was Watkins' fourth goal in his last three games.
The hosts doubled their lead just four minutes after the restart. Matty Cash delivered a quick cross from the right, and John McGinn met it with a clever left-footed flick at the far post, scoring his first goal since October.
Forest managed to pull one back shortly after the hour mark. Dilane Bakwa's ball took a deflection, falling kindly for captain Morgan Gibbs-White, who charged into the box and finished calmly.
McGinn Seals Victory as Forest Keeper's Error Proves Costly
Villa restored their two-goal cushion in the 73rd minute in dramatic fashion. Forest keeper Victor rushed off his line to intercept Youri Tielemans, but the Belgian midfielder cleverly found McGinn. The Scottish international dodged the stranded keeper and slotted into an empty net for his second of the night.
Victor was injured in the attempt to stop McGinn and was forced off the field, visibly distraught at the error that sealed Forest's fourth straight Premier League defeat.
"I know we need points but we showed a work ethic and desire," said Forest captain Gibbs-White. "We always know Villa start with a high press. So the key was to absorb that pressure and silence the fans a bit. We were unfortunate to concede right before halftime."
The result sets up an intriguing next round of fixtures. Aston Villa travel to face Crystal Palace on Wednesday, while Nottingham Forest will host West Ham United on Tuesday, as both teams look to build or rebuild momentum in the second half of the season.
