Wood gives Nottingham Forest advantage over Aston Villa – Europa League

Semi-final 1st leg

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Aston Villa

Chris Wood gave Nottingham Forest a crucial lead in their Europa League semi-final with Aston Villa.

The striker’s 71st-minute penalty – after Lucas Digne’s absurd handball – allows Vitor Pereira’s side to take a slender advantage to Villa Park for next week’s second leg.

It was the 200th career goal for a player who has had a tough season, spending six months out with a knee injury.

Emi Martinez’s brilliant reaction save – clawing the ball off the line to deny IgorJesus after 33 minutes – prevented Forest from scoring earlier.

Villa beat Forest 3-1 at Villa Park in the Premier League in January but must overcome a deficit as Unai Emery searches for a fifth Europa League title.

Stefan Ortega saved from Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers before the break and he also kept put Ollie Watkins’ instinctive effort in the second half.

Forest then edged ahead when Wood smashed in a penalty after Digne’s rush of blood.

The left-back inexplicably put his arms up as Omari Hutchinson tried to hook a deep ball back into the box just as it looked like it was dropping out, with VAR ruling it had not gone completely over the line and out of play – and therefore was still live.

Forest deserved their win, which gives them something to defend in next week’s second leg – but should Elliot Anderson have been sent off?

The midfielder’s first-half challenge on Watkins went unpunished but left his England team-mate in agony on the turf. Replays showed Anderson clattered into the Villa striker’s ankle.

Watkins tried to get retribution later, barging into Anderson and avoiding a yellow card, but Villa may feel a sense of injustice they were not playing against 10 men.

To make matters worse for Villa, Anderson was the heartbeat of Forest’s performance which earned them a justified advantage.

Would it have come had referee Joao Pinherio – or VAR – sent Anderson off?

The official then awarded them the match-winning penalty after a lengthy VAR delay following Digne’s bizarre decision to raise his hands to Hutchinson’s hook back.

Nothing should take away from the effort and determination from Forest, though, as they extended their run to nine unbeaten games in all competitions – their best run of the season.

Crucially, they do not have to win at Villa Park next week. And while Villa will continue to be dangerous and the tie is certainly not over, it is advantage Forest.

Watkins suggested on Wednesday that this Europa League campaign could be the last chance for Villa’s current squad to achieve something.

They have been together for a long time – six of the players who started Emery’s first game in November 2022 began the match at the City Ground. A seventh starter against Forest, John McGinn, came off the bench in that game three and a half years ago.

That stability has worked well for Villa – two years ago, they reached the Conference League semi-finals and also qualified for the Champions League.

But as they chase a first major trophy in 30 years, Villa need to overcome a first-leg deficit to ensure they are not classed as nearly men.

They have stumbled in the second half of the season but should still finish in the Premier League’s top five to reach the Champions League – although that would not end the silverware drought.

It was just Emery’s second defeat in his past 28 Europa League games – having won the tournament four times – but Villa need the master magician of the competition to turn it around at home next week.

Vitor Pereira’s side go to Chelsea on Monday before the return leg at Aston Villa on Thursday. Tottenham come to Villa Park on Sunday before Villa will look to reach the Europa League final in next Thursday’s second leg.

Tonight’s other Europa League semi-final result:

• SC Braga 2-1 Freiburg

Tonight’s Europa Conference League semi-final results:

• Rayo Vallecano 1-0 Strasbourg
• Shakhtar Donetsk 1-3 Crystal Palace