Aston Villa Vs Nottingham Forest Player Ratings: McGinn Masterclass Fires Aston Villa to Second as Forest Fall 3-1

A brilliant evening at Villa Park saw a brilliant performance from Aston Villa as they comfortably surpassed Nottingham Forest in a 3-1 victory. The home side dominated the entire game. They controlled the tempo and the midfield battle from the get-go. What stood out to us was the sheer dominance they showed throughout the game. Forest just couldn't match the pace with the Villans.

The breakthrough felt inevitable, and it came just before halftime. One of the current best clubs in Premier League Aston Villa proved their dominance against a side who are struggling this season.

Ollie Watkins found the net, a crucial blow right on the half-time whistle. Following that, early in the second half, captain John McGinn doubled the lead, seemingly putting the game to bed for the hosts. Forest, to their credit, showed a flicker of life. Morgan Gibbs-White pulled one back with a beautiful finish, giving his side a ray of hope.

However, it was short-lived, as McGinn popped up again to score his second of the day, a fantastic strike that sealed the three points. This match was a showcase of Villa's quality in this Premier League season.

From our perspective, the result never really looked in doubt after that second goal went in. Hence, it was a thoroughly deserved win for the Villans. Here are the Aston Villa Vs Nottingham Forest Player Ratings from an exciting Premier League clash.

Aston Villa Player Ratings vs Nottingham Forest

Goalkeeper

Emiliano Martínez - 7.0: A fairly quiet day for the Villa keeper, but he did what was required. He made 3 saves, including a couple of important ones from Gibbs-White and Aina. Looked confident and commanded his box well, claiming a high ball. Conceded one, but there was little he could do about it.

Defenders

Matty Cash - 7.5: A really strong showing from the right-back. He was a constant outlet on the wing and delivered a lovely assist. His pass accuracy was exceptional at 93%. Defensively solid, he did his job without any fuss. A very complete performance.

Ezri Konsa - 7.5: An absolute rock at the heart of the defence. From our perspective, he didn't put a foot wrong. He won 100% of his duels, which is just incredible. So composed on the ball, he stepped into midfield and rarely gave it away. A commanding presence.

Victor Lindelöf - 7.0: Incredibly tidy in possession, with a 98% pass completion rate. He just doesn't waste the ball. He formed a solid partnership with Konsa and won all of his aerial battles. A quiet but very effective game for the Swede.

Ian Maatsen - 6.5: An energetic display from the left-back. He got forward well and was always looking to support the attack. However, he was a little loose in possession at times, losing it 12 times. A decent, if unspectacular, outing before being subbed.

Midfielders

John McGinn - 9.0: What a performance. The captain was absolutely sensational and our clear man of the match. Two brilliantly taken goals sealed the win for his team. He was everywhere, breaking up play and driving his team forward. A true leader's display, and easily the highest rated player on the pitch.

Youri Tielemans - 8.5: A midfield masterclass. He completely ran the show with 116 touches. His passing was sublime, dictating the tempo of the game and he capped it off with an assist for McGinn's second goal. He created a big chance and just oozed class throughout.

Boubacar Kamara - 7.0: The engine room of the Villa midfield. He was a machine, winning an astounding 10 duels. His ability to break up play and win the ball back was crucial. One error led to a shot which blots his copybook slightly, but he was immense otherwise.

Morgan Rogers - 7.5: A livewire. He was a constant threat to the Forest defence, providing an assist and creating another big chance. He drew fouls and looked dangerous whenever he got on the ball. He was a little wasteful at times, but his creativity was a huge asset.

Emiliano Buendía - 6.0: A frustrating afternoon for the Argentine. He was busy and got into some good positions, but his final ball or shot was lacking. He lost possession quite a bit and just couldn't make the impact he would have wanted before he was taken off.

Forwards

Ollie Watkins - 7.5: Scored the all-important opening goal just before halftime. He worked tirelessly, pressing the Forest defence and making smart runs. He did miss a big chance, which he'll be disappointed with, but his goal set the tone for the victory.

Substitutes

No substitutes played significant minutes to warrant a rating.

Manager

U. Emery Etxegoien - 8.0: His game plan worked to perfection. Villa's setup allowed them to dominate the midfield, which was the foundation for the win. His players looked motivated and executed the tactics brilliantly. A great day at the office for the Spanish coach.

Nottingham Forest Player Ratings vs Aston Villa

Goalkeeper

John Victor - 4.0: A day to forget for the keeper. His error leading to a goal was a devastating blow for his team. He only made one save and looked shaky throughout. His afternoon was cut short by injury, which perhaps summed up his performance.

Defenders

Neco Williams - 5.0: A torrid time against Villa's fluid attack. He made an error that led to a shot and was defensively suspect. He tried to contribute going forward, but was largely pinned back. A really tough match for the fullback.

Murillo - 6.0: He was incredibly busy, making nine clearances, which tells the story of the pressure he was under. He was one of the better defenders for Forest. However, his passing was not up to scratch under pressure. He battled hard but it was a difficult task.

Nikola Milenković - 4.5: A really poor performance. He also made an error leading to a shot and looked off the pace. He was bullied by Villa's forwards, losing most of his duels. Not a game he will want to remember.

Ola Aina - 5.5: Had a powerful long-range shot saved but that was his only real contribution. Defensively, he struggled and was easily dribbled past. He was substituted in the second half as Forest looked for a way back into the game.

Midfielders

Elliot Anderson - 5.5: He put in a shift, recovering the ball six times. But on the ball, he was poor, losing possession 14 times. He was dispossessed five times, which is far too many. A mixed bag of hard work and low quality.

Morgan Gibbs-White - 7.5: The one shining light for Forest. He took his goal brilliantly and was the only player who looked capable of creating something. He had two shots on target and was a constant nuisance. He can hold his head high despite the result.

Nicolás Domínguez - 6.0: The midfielder battled hard in a losing cause. He won three tackles and tried to get a foothold in the game. But, like the rest of the Forest midfield, he was simply outclassed by his Villa counterparts.

Omari Hutchinson - 5.5: Created a big chance but that was about it. He was quiet for large parts of the game and struggled to get involved. His passing was wayward and he lost the ball too often. A disappointing display.

Dilane Bakwa - 6.5: He provided a moment of real quality with a great assist for Gibbs-White's goal. However, he also missed a big chance himself and picked up a yellow card. An eventful but ultimately inconsistent performance.

Forwards

Igor Jesus - 4.5: What stood out to us was how isolated he was. He was completely anonymous up front. He lost 12 of his 15 duels, was dispossessed four times, and committed five fouls. An incredibly frustrating and ineffective performance.

Substitutes

No substitutes played significant minutes to warrant a rating.

Manager

S. Dyche - 5.0: It's hard to be too critical when your team is just outplayed, but his side looked disjointed. The defensive structure was easily broken, and they offered little going forward apart from moments from Gibbs-White. A tough lesson for his team.

Sportsdunia's Player of the Match: John McGinn