Nottingham Forest Ends 32-Year Wait with Late Winner Against Aston Villa
Igor Jesus struck in the 88th minute to end 32 years of hurt for Nottingham Forest at Aston Villa and pile early-season pressure on Unai Emery.
The substitute reacted quickest in a crowded box, stabbing home the winner to seal Oliver Glasner’s first victory in charge of Forest and condemn Villa to another game without a Premier League win.
Forest had earned the moment. They had controlled long spells, played with more conviction, and carried the greater threat.
Forest sharper, Villa searching
Liam Delap, a £50m summer signing from Chelsea, had already offered a glimpse of why Forest spent so heavily on him. He drove them in front with his first goal since January, opening his Forest account and giving Glasner’s side a platform they rarely looked like surrendering.
Villa did respond, but only briefly.
Alysson’s equaliser – their first Premier League goal of the season – arrived against the run of play and felt like a lifeline rather than a turning point. Even with the score level, Forest continued to look the more cohesive, aggressive side.
Villa’s best early chance came in a frantic sequence. Victor Lindelof’s effort took a deflection off Murillo, forcing Sels into a smart stop that pushed the ball on to the post. Murillo’s clearance fell straight back to Lindelof, whose instinctive follow-up was again blocked by the Forest goalkeeper. It was scruffy, desperate, and it summed up Villa’s day: half-chances, half-steps, nothing clean.
Those moments were rare. As the game wore on, Forest tightened their grip.
Emery’s frustration showed at half-time. He hauled off £65m record signing Nicolas Jackson, turning instead to Tammy Abraham – a striker he had been prepared to let leave in the summer. The switch underlined how little rhythm this remodelled Villa side have found so far.
Emery’s project stalls, Glasner’s gathers pace
Emery has asked for patience after a turbulent summer and a squad reshaped around his detailed demands. His teams are usually drilled to the millimetre, players fed an avalanche of tactical information. That process takes time.
But Villa Park is not a patient place when performances sag like this.
They looked disjointed, second to key duels, and short of ideas in the final third. A 3-2 Champions League win at Club Brugge had hinted at a surge in confidence; instead, this flat display dragged expectations back down and highlighted how much work remains.
On the opposite bench, Glasner’s plan is starting to bite.
The Austrian has become something of a problem Emery cannot solve. Since Glasner arrived in the Premier League with Crystal Palace in February 2024, Emery has yet to beat him in eight attempts. Palace’s 3-0 win at Villa Park at the start of last season was emphatic; this one was narrower on the scoreboard, but again the visitors fully merited the result.
Forest’s performance here followed on from resilient draws against Liverpool and Tottenham, evidence that Glasner is quickly getting a grip on his new squad. Structure is emerging. So is belief.
And with Jesus’ late winner snapping a three-decade wait for victory at Villa, that belief will only grow – just as the questions around Emery’s new-look Villa begin to sharpen.
