Analysis: Turnaround needed to avoid 'nearly men' tagpublished at 22:44 BST
22:44 BST
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Ollie Watkins suggested on Wednesday that this Europa League campaign could be the last chance for Aston Villa's current squad to achieve something.
They have been together for a long time - six of the players who started Unai Emery's first game in November 2022 began the match at the City Ground. A seventh starter against Forest, John McGinn, came off the bench in that game three and a half years ago.
That stability has worked well for Villa - two years ago, they reached the Conference League semi-finals and also qualified for the Champions League.
But as they chase a first major trophy in 30 years, Villa need to overcome a first-leg deficit to ensure they are not classed as nearly men.
They have stumbled in the second half of the season but should still finish in the Premier League's top five to reach the Champions League - although that would not end the silverware drought.
It was just Emery's second defeat in his past 28 Europa League games - having won the tournament four times - but Villa need the master magician of the competition to turn it around at home next week.
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Aston Villa: What Emery saidpublished at 22:44 BST
22:44 BST
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, spoke to TNT Sports after his side's defeat at Nottingham Forest in the Europa League: "We couldn't score, we conceded, but we controlled. We lost but did the match we planned. We had our chances to score and had momentum. We were successful in stopping their high press, the match was going like we planned. We defended well. The penalty was one action that happened.
"I didn't watch the action or speak with him [Lucas Digne]. Tomorrow we will speak about everything. After analysis we can take something clear.
"After their goal the most important thing was not to lose our mind and to keep our game plan. They were excited, pushing well. After the goal, we kept same idea to draw the match, but more important was not to concede another goal. The match is not finished, it continues next week. We must come back."
On Elliot Anderson avoiding a red card for a challenge on Ollie Watkins: "Fantastic the referee, fantastic. But the VAR is so, so bad. It's a clear red card, I don't understand why the VAR is not calling the referee because it's so clear. It's a huge, huge mistake. VAR is responsible.
"The referee - fantastic, fantastic job, 10 out of 10, I appreciated how he managed the match for 90 minutes.
"I watched it back - wow. Huge. He could break his ankle. VAR, where are you? It is your responsibility, we are professionals. It was so clear for everybody. He could break his ankle. It's not fair."
Did you know?
Unai Emery lost a leg of a Europa League semi-final for the first time since his Sevilla side lost 3-1 at Valencia in May 2014, having gone unbeaten in eight straight semi-final matches in the competition before Thursday's defeat (W6 D2).
John McGinn and Emiliano Martinez made their 300th and 250th starts for Villa in all competitions respectively.
Follow Thursday's European semi-finalspublished at 19:07 BST
19:07 BST
There are four semi-final first legs taking place in the Europa League and the Conference League on Thursday, and BBC Sport will be keeping you up to date.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Europa League commentary on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa".
'We need to pull together' - Watkinspublished at 14:47 BST
14:47 BST
Ailsa Cowen BBC Sport journalist
Media caption,
Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins has said it was "fair" he wasn't selected for the England squad but it gave him the "fuel" to improve his goalscoring form.
Back in March, when England manager Thomas Tuchel revealed his latest squad, Watkins had been struggling in front of goal.
From January until March, he scored two goals in 12 games. Since then, he has seen a resurgence with five goals in five games, with two coming against Sunderland and one assist.
"I had no animosity towards him [Tuchel]. What he said to me was personal, I needed that time away to get that fire back in my belly," said Watkins.
Villa have also had a strong run in Europe this season, they play Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-final this evening.
They have won all five Europa League knockout matches this season, scoring 13 goals.
Watkins said the possibility of going on to win the competition could "be more special" than Villa's play-off win in 2019.
"I think we need to do everything we can to get to the end. It is not going to be easy."
Having "never lifted a trophy", the 30-year-old is determined to get his hands on one this season.
They'll be hoping there is no repeat of their last European semi-final, where they lost out to Olympiakos in the Conference League.
"We were playing such good football, but we didn't really turn up," said Watkins.
"This year our form has been amazing in Europe, so I think that togetherness and we have learned a lot. We need to pull together with that experience and go one more."
Premier League Emery's priority - but fans will not tell tales of finishing fifthpublished at 12:01 BST
12:01 BST
Mike Taylor BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Aston Villa's nine-month pursuit of the same goal down two paths may be all but complete a week from now.
Even after a pallid showing at Fulham, one more Premier League win will most likely be enough to hit the Champions League target, with two eminently winnable games up next. They remain favourites at a skinny price to win the Europa League, a prize with a Champions League place as a bonus.
But it is the apparent secondary target that fires the imagination, for all the cash rewards of a top-five finish. For the third spring running, Villa enter a knockout semi-final in which they are widely assumed to be the stronger side, with an enormous weight of expectation from supporters who have only seen a Villa captain lift a major trophy on video. This is now true of any fan still on the right side of 30, which, in one of the youngest cities in Europe, must be a lot of people.
"The semi-final against Olympiacos two years ago, we lost," said Unai Emery on Wednesday. "But we were involved in the Premier League to finish fourth and we finished the season a little bit more tired and with some important injuries. We accepted it and, of course, it was a process we had in that moment.
"Last year, we played in the semi-final of the FA Cup - we lost, and didn't deserve more against Crystal Palace. It was another experience. We are going to try to use our experiences to try to get better in this one."
More than anyone else, Emery has stressed that the Premier League is the club's unassailable top priority. The reasons are clear enough. A trophy brings a huge sugar-high, but a scrapbook of memories is all that lasts. Champions League qualification is the means to secure the financial elbow-room necessary to achieve their future ambitions.
Fine. We all recognise the supremacy of the numbers now. But Thursday, and Villa Park next week, will remind us that the game is still about more than that.
Emery himself, so clearly a man with a deep footballing soul, loves the game passionately enough to know why. Villa are playing for their right, and that of their Gen-Z fans, to tell stories to their future descendants, as the generations before them speak of Rotterdam and Ron Saunders.
They will not tell tales of how they finished fifth, but famous nights and thrilling moments: Jhon Duran against Bayern Munich, Emi Buendia against Arsenal - and, they hope, legends of Istanbul.
The only road back to there runs through Nottingham.
Emery eyes new chapter as he aims for Europa League finalpublished at 16:49 BST 29 April
16:49 BST 29 April
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Unai Emery is close to taking Aston Villa back to the Champions League
Boss Unai Emery said Aston Villa want to create some history as they chase a place in next month's Europa League final.
Villa go to Nottingham Forest in their semi-final first leg on Thursday looking to end their 30-year trophy drought.
The winners will face either Freiburg or Braga in the final in Istanbul on 20 May.
It is Emery's seventh Europa League semi-final, the former Arsenal boss having won the competition three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal. He lost with the Gunners to Chelsea in the 2019 final.
He said: "I have my own experiences before in this competition and different momentum as well.
"But it is completely different. In football, everything you have done before, though it may be fantastic, it's done.
"Now it is a new chapter and I want to write a new chapter here. The most important experiences are the ones we have here together.
"Our experiences are a semi-final in the Conference League, quarter-final in the Champions League.
"We must try to learn with our experiences, to respond better than we did."
Villa beat Forest 3-1 at Villa Park in January before a 1-1 draw at the City Ground earlier this month in the Premier League.
Forest are 16th, five points above the relegation zone, compared to Champions League-chasing Villa who are fifth.
"How we are arriving in the key moment in this competition, it has been fantastic but now the semi final is 50-50 for both teams," added Emery.
"It is very important for both teams and they have history in Europe, winning the European Cup, and we have our history as well but not recently. We want to try to keep doing something important in Europe."
Emery on Onana availability, semi-finals and Forest published at 14:26 BST 29 April
14:26 BST 29 April
Melissa Edwards BBC Sport journalist
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Europa League semi-final, first leg tie against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground (kick-off 20:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Amadou Onana could return to the squad as Emery confirms he will see on Wednesday afternoon if the midfielder is "feeling good to play", after missing the defeat at Fulham last weekend.
On how he feels going into the semi-final, Emery said: "How we are alive in this moment in this competition and how we've been performing is fantastic. But now in the semi-final it's 50-50 for both teams and very important for both teams. Nottingham Forest have history in Europe winning the Champions League and we have our history as well but not recently. Recently we want both teams to keep doing something important in Europe."
Emery has now reached three semi-finals for Villa and the Spaniard wants to use those shared experiences to get his players to "respond better" and make it through to a final this time around.
With four years at Villa Park under his belt, Emery was asked about the value of stability. He said: "I'm not thinking a lot about it. I'm always focusing on each moment and of course if I can take two minutes to think about it – how we are here and competing in the Europa League is fantastic. How we're in the top five in the Premier League is fantastic. We need to win tomorrow because football is win, again to win, again to win and again to win. It's the only way you can survive."
Villa will host Vitor Pereira's side next week in the second leg and Emery isn't expecting his side to take a lead back to the West Midlands, but he does "expect" his team to "be competitive and try to dominate".
On facing a fellow Premier League side, Emery said: "It's the same, but not the same in that you have to manage each moment. Even the first half of the first leg and the second half of the second leg – they are different and I expect it to be a lot. Why? Because they are performing very good, playing with confidence from the last two matches and they were amazing. They scored four and five goals in the matches they played. In the Europa League as well as - being competitive and how in the last two rounds they competed fantastically."
He continued: "I expect a very intelligent match from them and hopefully of course, we play intelligently and compete and try to enjoy. We can feel it with the supporters and the players, everyone involved in this semi-final. We must try to enjoy the preparation and the match."
Villa impress in Europa League as Emery eyes a dreampublished at 13:07 BST 29 April
13:07 BST 29 April
Image source, Getty Images
Aston Villa travel to Nottingham Forest on Thursday evening for the Europa League semi-final, a huge tie between two Premier League sides.
The prospect of being in a European final feels worlds away from Forest's reality in the Premier League, where they're five points off of the relegation zone.
Villa are comfortably in fifth, which would secure their place in Champions League football for next season.
And they're set to be fierce competitors, given that they have won 11 Europa League matches this season.
Only Porto in 2010-11 (12), Atletico Madrid in 2011-12 (13) and Chelsea in 2018-19 (12) have won more Europa League games in a single season.
Unai Emery's squad have also won their last nine games in a row – the only English team to win 10 in a row in major European football is Manchester City between May 2023 and March 2024.
In January Emery told the media, after their 1-0 win against Fenerbahce, the club "have clear objectives in this competition to be a contender for a trophy".
"We want to be a contender in case we need this trophy to play in the Champions League. Through our league [it] is very difficult.
"I am dreaming to be here getting trophies and the Europa is one objective we have this year."
Will Villa win their first piece of silverware since 1996?
Gossip: Villa eye Sporting's versatile left-back Araujopublished at 07:46 BST 29 April
07:46 BST 29 April
Aston Villa and Newcastle United are interested in signing Maxi Araujo, 26, from Sporting, with the Uruguay international able to play left-back and on the left wing. (Sport Witness), external
'Midfield woes in one of the biggest games in Emery's tenure'published at 09:36 BST 28 April
09:36 BST 28 April
Hannah Gowen Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Aston Villa's form in 2026 has shown how important Unai Emery's key midfield players are.
Having travelled to Craven Cottage on Saturday - previously a happy hunting ground for Emery - Villa looked lethargic and lacked a dominant force in the middle of the park.
There was an Amadou Onana shaped hole. Another injury meant the Belgium international was sidelined - his 29th game missed through injury across his two seasons at the club.
Barely a month has passed since John McGinn and Youri Tielemans returned from their respective injuries and, with Boubacar Kamara out for the campaign, Villa have been without their strongest midfield for most of this year.
Emery has been reliant on Onana's presence during much of this period, despite knowing the midfielder has been prone to small recurring muscle injuries, often attributed to fatigue.
This week, the club will compete in another European semi-final. It is undoubtedly one of the biggest games in Emery's tenure, with just two games between him and another Europa League final.
But, at the moment, it looks like Onana may be missing for what will be a season-defining game.
The midfield injury woes since the turn of the year have coincided with a drop off in away form, with Villa winning just one away league fixture since the beginning of the year.
This will no doubt be a concern heading into Thursday night's game against Nottingham Forest.
Despite these challenges, much of Villa's hard work for the season is done. The club sit eight points ahead of sixth position with four games remaining, with relegation candidates Tottenham and already-relegated Burnley up next.
So Champions League qualification seems likely and the potential of a European trophy is currently high.
To ensure this season ends in success, hopefully with a piece of silverware in the cabinet, Emery and his team will have to show the best of their ability to perform under pressure - perhaps even without their best XI.
Gossip: Dortmund closing in on a deal to re-sign Sanchopublished at 07:37 BST 28 April
07:37 BST 28 April
Borussia Dortmund are closing in on a deal to re-sign English winger Jadon Sancho this summer but Aston Villa remain hopeful they can agree a move for the 26-year-old when he becomes a free agent in July. (Teamtalk), external
Will Villa still need to sell players if they qualify for Champions League?published at 16:53 BST 27 April
16:53 BST 27 April
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
If Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League this season, will they still have to shop in the bargain basement of free transfers and loans or can they actually splurge a little? This is a question that came in via our Villa 'Ask Me Anything' form where we answer your burning questions
Villa, fifth in the Premier League, are on the brink of qualifying for the Champions League and it will undoubtedly help their financial position.
They can afford a couple of slip ups - one came in Saturday's defeat at Fulham - and can even reach the Champions League by winning the Europa League - they face Nottingham Forest in the semi final - so it is almost assured.
Bu you just have to look at the accounts to show how important returning to European elite competition is.
The club reported a profit of £17m for 2024-25, the season in which they last played in the Champions League, compared with a loss of nearly £90m in the previous year.
It is clear how vital Champions League football is to Villa, having lost 119.6m for the year 2022-23, and their revenue increased by 37% to £378.1m when they were in the competition.
That said, the expectation is Villa will still have to tread a financial tightrope this summer and will likely need to sell.
Morgan Rogers has excelled since joining from Middlesbrough for £16m two years ago and a strong World Cup for England would allow Villa to demand close to £100m.
Villa want to keep their best players, and Champions League qualification strengthens Villa's hand, but selling a player every year is the easiest way to comply with the rules.
David: Great improvement on last week - like a different team. Jimenez starting was the right decision - he makes so much more happen than Muniz. Robinson as substitute was much better than of late. Europe may be in reach.
Malachi: It was clear what Marco Silva wanted from his players. Fulham played intelligent, winning football. With Europe back in sight, I'm exited to see where we finish this season.
Tim: Brilliant on all fronts. Great to see the squad performing as they can - a proper team effort with a clean sheet and crisp, clean football. Marco and the coaching squad really prepared the team and the strategy held up. Now to help spoil the Arsenal's ending next weekend!
James: Come on, you Whites! It was a great performance and we completely deserved the three points. A trip to Europe is still in sight - only two points behind sixth. A very hard game coming up next against Arsenal.
Villa fans
Rob: We are staggering towards the Champions League, hoping that we have enough points in the bag to make it in fifth place. Poor finishing has cost us again with Watkins missing two good chances, Tammy one and Rogers one. It's been the story of our season. UCL qualification is critical if we are going to be able to improve because this squad of players are continuing to overachieve.
Matt: Yeesh, I seriously hope we had one eye on the upcoming semi against Nottingham Forest. Fulham did enough against a Villa side who were nowhere near their best. They'll need to double the workload midweek that's for sure, especially when Forest battered Sunderland comfortably. Sancho and Bailey are not good enough - they're meant to have an impact and did nothing. In Unai we trust, but the chances we missed today hopefully won't return to bite us. UTV.
Martyn: Villa are so frustrating. Their inconsistency is painful. An epic performance followed by a dripping wet, lacklustre game. Get. The. Job. Done.
Jack: We are lucky to be fifth and it's only because everyone outside the top two is poor that we are. Emery is a great coach but we have been largely poor under him for three months and, once again, have a very bad goal difference for the third season running. Spending more would help but we have a very large wage bill and wasted it on Sancho, Elliott, Bailey etc. If Forest knock us out of Europe it will be another season without a trophy.
Watch Premier League highlights and analysispublished at 11:07 BST 26 April
11:07 BST 26 April
Pundits Martin Keown and Steph Houghton join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.
Analysis: Onana missed as Villa underwhelmpublished at 15:17 BST 25 April
15:17 BST 25 April
Matthew Henry BBC Sport Journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Defeat should not be met by panic at Aston Villa.
At worst they will end the weekend with a seven-point advantage over those outside of the Champions League places with four games to go. They will almost certainly have enough.
Emery cut a frustrated figure for much of the second half, however.
His side were loose on the ball and, without the thrust offered by injured midfielder Amadou Onana, struggled to break through Fulham's solid defensive shape.
Watkins followed his well-crafted first-half chance by blazing an effort over in the second.
After six goals in his previous five games, it would be harsh to read too much into the striker's showing when it comes to debating whether he will make England's World Cup squad, but his miss was untimely with Tuchel watching on.
He was substituted with 10 minutes to go and replaced by Tammy Abraham, who wasted a chance of his own.
An exasperated Emery bounded around his technical area in response to that miss. He will hope for much better at Forest on Thursday.
Image source, Getty Images
