Nottingham Forest Ends 32-Year Wait with Late Winner at Aston Villa

Igor Jesus struck in the 88th minute to end a 32–year wait for a Nottingham Forest win at Aston Villa – and to leave Unai Emery still searching for a first Premier League victory of the season.

The substitute reacted quickest in a crowded box, stabbing home from close range to cap a performance that fully merited Oliver Glasner’s first league win in charge of Forest. Villa Park fell silent; the away end exploded. It felt like a result that had been coming.

Forest sharper, Villa stuck in neutral

Forest carried the greater threat for long spells and had already been rewarded once. Liam Delap, a £50m summer signing from Chelsea, opened his Forest account with his first goal since January, a timely reminder of why the club invested so heavily in him.

Villa, flat and fragmented for most of the afternoon, briefly stirred. Alysson hauled them level with their first Premier League goal of the season, a finish that should have ignited a response. It didn’t. Forest simply picked up where they had left off, controlling territory and tempo while Villa laboured.

The hosts actually came close to striking first in chaotic fashion. Victor Lindelof’s effort took a wicked deflection off Murillo, forcing Sels into a sharp save as the ball clipped the post. Murillo’s clearance fell straight back to Lindelof, whose instinctive follow-up was again blocked by the Forest goalkeeper. It was frantic, but it was also one of the few moments when Villa truly unsettled the visitors.

Those flashes proved the exception. The pattern soon turned against Emery’s side and never really flipped back.

Emery’s rebuild stalls again

Emery has asked for patience after a turbulent summer and a major rebuild, but nights like this will test it. This was disjointed, uncertain football from a team still trying to recognise itself.

The clearest sign of that came at half-time. Record signing Nicolas Jackson, a £65m statement of intent, did not reappear after the break. In his place came Tammy Abraham – a striker Villa had been prepared to move on during this window. It felt less like a tactical tweak and more like a search for something, anything, that might click.

The chemistry isn’t there yet. Emery is renowned for his meticulous preparation and the sheer volume of detail he demands from his players. That takes time to absorb, but the expectation remains that Villa should look far more coherent than this.

A 3-2 Champions League win at Club Brugge had hinted at lift-off. Instead, this performance dragged them back into the reality of a side still far from fully formed.

Glasner’s grip on Emery continues

Across the technical area, Glasner continues to have Emery’s number. Since the Austrian arrived in the Premier League with Crystal Palace in February 2024, Emery has yet to beat him in eight attempts.

Glasner’s Palace had already walked away from Villa Park with a 3-0 win at the start of last season. The margin was narrower this time, but the sense of superiority from the visitors was familiar. His Forest side were organised, aggressive without the ball, and confident enough to keep pushing even after Alysson’s equaliser.

Draws against Liverpool and Tottenham had already hinted that Glasner was beginning to shape this Forest squad in his image. This first win of the campaign does more than just put three points on the board. It injects belief, sharpens identity, and confirms that Forest can go to one of the league’s toughest grounds and impose themselves.

Emery, by contrast, walks away with more questions. Glasner leaves with a late winner, a landmark victory, and a growing psychological edge over a rival he still refuses to let off the hook.