Nottingham Forest defeat Aston Villa 2-1 as Unai Emery criticises referee over James McAtee tackle

Late winner at Villa Park

Nottingham Forest secured a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park following an 88th-minute winning strike from forward Igor Jesus. The decisive move originated on the right wing through Daniel Munoz before Morgan Gibbs-White delivered a backheel pass to set up Jesus. Forest had earlier taken the lead when 45 million pound signing Liam Delap drove a 25-yard shot past the goalkeeper to score his first goal for the club. Villa found an equaliser through half-time substitute Alysson, who headed into the net to level the score at 1-1. The match swung in the closing ten minutes when Villa lost a defender to injury after using all allotted substitutions.

Maatsen injury and referee decision

Villa were reduced to ten men in the 81st minute when left-back Ian Maatsen sustained an ankle injury from a tackle by Forest midfielder James McAtee. Referee Andy Madeley issued a yellow card to the 23-year-old McAtee for the challenge from behind, but the video assistant referee did not intervene. Maatsen could not continue, and because Emery had used his fifth substitution in the 63rd minute, Villa had no remaining changes. Captain John McGinn was forced to fill in at left-back, creating a defensive gap that Forest exploited for the winning goal. Emery expressed concern after the final whistle that the 24-year-old Netherlands international could be sidelined for a prolonged period.

“But after watching it on TV, I think the VAR referee should call the referee because it's a tackle, a clear tackle, behind Maatsen, and for me it should be a red card, and it's different.”

Manager assessments and head-to-head record

Emery acknowledged that referee decisions were not the sole reason for the defeat, noting that his team performed poorly during the second half. The Spaniard referenced a previous match against Brighton where midfielder Joao Gomes was dismissed following two yellow cards, contrasting that disciplinary action with McAtee's caution. The victory represents the first win for Oliver Glasner as Nottingham Forest manager and extends his unbeaten record against Emery to eight matches since arriving in England in 2023. Glasner downplayed his tactical dominance over the Spaniard, directing praise toward the resilience of his players.

“I spoke to him before the game and it's still 5-2 for him, five European trophies to two.”

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Oliver Glasner

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Campaign trajectory and injury concerns

The result leaves Aston Villa with one point and one goal across their first four Premier League fixtures. Villa had hoped to build on a midweek victory over Club Brugge in the Champions League, but defensive injuries disrupted their setup. Centre-back Pau Torres left the match before half-time with a hamstring injury, forcing Emery into his first substitution of the afternoon. Emery introduced teenagers Ibrahim Mbaye and Johan Manzambi for their club debuts just after the hour mark before running out of substitutions. Villa now prepare for a Carabao Cup tie at Coventry City on Wednesday before travelling to face Tottenham Hotspur on September 19.