John McGinn scored twice as Aston Villa recorded a domiannt 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest to return to winning ways in the English Premier League.
Villa’s run of 11 consecutive wins was halted in their last match of 2025 when they suffered a disappointing 4-1 defeat to league leaders Arsenal, but they bounced back with another win that now moves them up to second on the standings.
Nottingham Forest were boosted by the return of Nigerian defender Ola Aina to the starting lineup after an extended spell on the sidelines, as they searched for a victory to move far from the drop zone.
It was the home side who started on top and had the better chances to open the scoring, with John Victor denying Ollie Watkins inside the first 10 minutes, while Malen wasted a glorious chance to score.
Omari Hutchinson had the visitors first attempt on goal, but Emi Martinez was equal to the task to keep the scoreline goalless.
With the game heading towards a goalless first half, Aston Villa took the lead through the in-form Watkins, who fired past Victor.
It took only four minutes after the restart for Villa to double their lead as McGinn fired home his first of the day, before Morgan Gibbs-White pulled one back for the away side.
However, an error in goal by Victor allowed McGinn to double his tally and score the hosts third of the game to seal a comfortable 3-1 victory.
“It was a poor result and we wanted to show a reaction. Maybe it’s the start of another 11-game winning run”, McGinn admitted after the match.
“We knew we had to be at our best. A great win for us. I’ve been trying to add more goals to my game, the manager was hard on me this morning but thankfully I got two goals.
“We can watch the games with our feet up now. What we are building here is special.”
Aston Villa are up against Crystal Palace next Wednesday, hoping for another win to keep pace at the top of the standings.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
