Aston Villa did far more than protect home advantage in the second leg. They beat Nottingham Forest 4-0 on the night and advanced 4-1 on aggregate, with Emiliano Buendía driving the comeback and John McGinn finishing it off. From one goal down in the tie to complete control, this was Villa at their sharpest and most ruthless.

Why Buendía and McGinn decided the tie

Buendía was the outstanding player in the match and the numbers back that up. He finished with a 9.5 rating, the highest on the pitch, and delivered one goal and one assist. He also produced four key passes, which says plenty about the kind of night he had. He was not just around the danger, he was creating most of it.

The first swing came in the 36th minute when Buendía scored the equalising goal in the tie. The second came in the 57th, when he converted the penalty that put Villa ahead on aggregate. That was the point where Forest were chasing the game rather than managing it.

Ollie Watkins was heavily involved as well, contributing a goal and an assist. His link play with Buendía helped Villa attack with more variety than Forest could handle, and once the home side got in front, the tie started to look very long for the visitors.

Then McGinn ended any remaining doubt. John McGinn scored twice in three minutes, in the 77th and 80th minutes, turning a semi-final into a rout. His 8.7 rating reflected more than the finish in front of goal, but the timing of those strikes mattered most because they removed any chance of late tension.

Stiliyan Petrov summed it up well when he told football365.com: "They knew what they had to do and they did it".

That felt accurate because Villa were not relying on one hot spell or one moment of chaos. Their best attackers kept making the right decisions. Buendía shaped the game early, Watkins connected the attacks, and McGinn punished Forest when the spaces grew.

How Emery tilted the game in Villa's favour

The second-leg context matters here. This was not a generic 4-0 win. Villa started the night needing to overturn a one-goal deficit, and Emery’s reshuffle helped make the contest look one-sided before the scoreline became emphatic.

He set Villa up in a 4-2-3-1 and started Victor Lindelöf in midfield. Lindelöf lasted 74 minutes there, which underlined how intentional the move was rather than a short-lived experiment. The shape gave Villa more control through the centre and helped squeeze the life out of Forest’s midfield.

That control is the clearest explanation for why Buendía and Watkins kept finding pockets in better areas. Forest finished the night without a goal, and once Villa equalised in the tie, the home side were dictating where the game was played. Emery even brushed aside the selection noise before the match, telling football365.com: "He's not our goalkeeper".

The more interesting point was what the setup did for the players ahead of the ball. With Villa steadier in central areas, Youri Tielemans and the attacking line had cleaner platforms to work from, and Forest never seemed able to reset the contest. For a side that began the evening with the aggregate lead, that is a poor place to be.

What the win means now

The immediate prize is obvious. Aston Villa are through to the Europa League final, where they will face SC Freiburg in Istanbul on May 20.

There is bigger history attached to it too. Villa have reached their first major European final in 44 years, since 1982, or if you want to frame it more precisely, since the 1982 European Cup final. Emery has now reached six major European finals, which tells you this stage is not unfamiliar territory for him.

That does not mean the job is finished. Villa are one win away from a first major trophy in 30 years, but this night alone was about the performance as much as the occasion. They started with a deficit, played with control, and ended with a 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest. The final against SC Freiburg is on May 20 in Istanbul.

FAQ

How did Aston Villa overturn the deficit against Nottingham Forest?

[Aston Villa](club:aston-villa) won 4-0 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate after a second-leg performance driven by [Emiliano Buendía](player:emiliano-buendia) and [John McGinn](player:john-mcginn). Buendía scored in the 36th minute and added a penalty in the 57th, then McGinn struck twice in the 77th and 80th minutes. Emery’s 4-2-3-1 setup, with Victor Lindelöf used in midfield, also helped Villa control the game.

Why was Emiliano Buendía so important in Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest?

[Emiliano Buendía](player:emiliano-buendia) was the standout player because he affected the tie as both creator and scorer. He recorded one goal and one assist, produced four key passes and finished with a 9.5 rating, the highest on the pitch. He levelled the tie in the 36th minute, converted the penalty in the 57th and helped turn Villa’s attacking pressure into a rout.

What tactical change did Unai Emery make against Nottingham Forest?

Emery set [Aston Villa](club:aston-villa) up in a 4-2-3-1 and started Victor Lindelöf in midfield. Lindelöf played 74 minutes there, which underlined how deliberate the reshuffle was. The switch gave Villa more control through the centre and helped suffocate [Nottingham Forest](club:nottingham-forest) before the game opened up in the second half.

Who will Aston Villa play in the Europa League final?

[Aston Villa](club:aston-villa) will face [SC Freiburg](club:sc-freiburg) in Istanbul on May 20. Reaching the final ended a 44-year wait for Villa’s first major European final since 1982, or since the 1982 European Cup final depending on the framing used.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 9 outlets. How we work →