Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa

A dramatic own goal and a quick-fire equalizer ensured Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa shared the spoils in a 1–1 draw at the City Ground, with both sides leaving with mixed feelings on Sunday afternoon. Aston Villa took an unexpected lead on 23 minutes when Murillo turned the ball into his own net. Nottingham Forest hit back swiftly, with Neco Williams levelling in the 38th minute to send the sides into the break on equal terms. Villa were also dealt a blow before kick-off when first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez suffered a muscle injury during the warm-up and was ruled out of the match entirely. The point is precious for Nottingham Forest, who sit 16th and are fighting to avoid relegation — holding a top-four side at home is exactly the kind of result they needed. For Aston Villa, fourth in the table and chasing Champions League qualification, dropping two points against a side scrapping at the bottom will sting.