Aston Villa shock Premier League as they catch up with Man City | OneFootball

Aston Villa are not here by chance. You do not go seven wins in a row in different competitions on chance, nor do you collect 51 points, eclipse Manchester City, and stay well and truly in the Premier League top five on chance. At Villa Park against Nottingham Forest, Unai Emery's men proved — once more — that they do not simply turn up with honorific intentions. They turn up with possession, with energy, and most importantly, with points.

Emery summed up the moment succinctly: "The moment is great. We're very concentrated on every match, very concentrated on how we can do better and how we can improve."

All sorted in two minutes

Villa did not give Forest a chance to catch their breath. Just 16 minutes into the match, Rogers calmly slotted one through the keeper's legs to open the scoring. Two minutes later, Malen tapped in a low cross to double the lead.

Unai Emery made a point to emphasize it: “We’re transmitting our energy to the fans, and their energy is transmitting back to us. We’re, more or less, winning, responding well.” That line fit perfectly with what was happening on the pitch: confidence from the players and a buzzing crowd. Villa Park felt like a fortress — and that’s exactly what the coach is counting on.

Forest tried, but ran out of time

Halftime turned it around. Nottingham came back with better sharpness, made corrections, and only 57 minutes into the second half did Jota Silva, just having been subbed in, set the game on fire. He gained possession, juked over markers, and planted it into the corner. A stunning goal that renewed Forest's hope and forced Villa to regroup.

The pressure kept building. But the team didn’t panic and held the lead until the final whistle. The second half didn’t have the flair of the first, but it carried the weight of a side that knows how to manage a storm. “We were winning today, but in the second half we’ve got some work to do to improve a few things tactically and individually,” Emery admitted, not shying away from criticism.

Seven victories, 17 at home unbeaten, and a message sent

Saturday's victory over Nottingham Forest was the seventh consecutive win in all competitions for Aston Villa — something they hadn't done since 2019. And in Premier League action, their first seven-game winning streak since 1981. Numbers that back up only the message Emery's been preaching: this squad is moving in the right direction.

And it’s not just the streak. Villa are now 17 games unbeaten at home. No visitor has it easy there. “Here at Villa Park we’re feeling very strong,” said Emery.

Villa are starting to scare the table

With 51 points, Aston Villa are now equal with Manchester City. They're right there, looking up. And while everyone else in the rest of the league looks to the usual suspects, the Villans just keep creeping on up, under the radar. The coach knows there is still much to do, but his view of the moment is clear: "Now is the moment when we have to try to be together with our supporters and try to push everyone, transmitting our energy."