EPL: Forest beat Villa 2-1 to end 32-year wait for Villa Park win

Nottingham Forest ended a 32-year wait for a victory at Villa Park after beating Aston Villa 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday.

PUNCH Online had earlier reported that three Premier League teams would head into Matchday 4 still searching for their first goal of the season after Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and newly promoted Coventry City endured goalless starts to the 2026/27 campaign.

While, Aston Villa found the net, the game, however, ended in a loss at Villa Park.

Liam Delap put Forest ahead shortly after half-time with his first goal for the club, before substitute Alysson equalised for Villa with just over 15 minutes remaining.

Igor Jesus then restored Forest’s lead in the closing stages to secure the visitors’ first Premier League win of the 2026/27 season.

The result also gave Oliver Glasner his first victory as Forest manager and extended the club’s unbeaten run to three matches.

Forest had drawn with Liverpool away and Tottenham Hotspur at home in their previous two league fixtures.

Villa started strongly at Villa Park, with Matz Sels making two early saves to deny Victor Lindelöf.

Forest gradually settled into the game, with James McAtee, Morgan Gibbs-White and Neco Williams going close before the break.

The visitors took control after half-time and opened the scoring when Murillo won possession in Villa’s half before Delap carried the ball forward and fired into the bottom-left corner.

Forest continued to threaten, with Delap having another effort ruled out for offside.

Villa eventually levelled when Alysson headed in John McGinn’s deep cross.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men in the closing stages after using all five substitutions, with Ian Maatsen also picking up an injury.

Forest regained control and created further chances before Igor Jesus settled the contest.

The forward guided Danilo Muñoz’s cross into the bottom corner, with Gibbs-White providing a flick in the build-up.

The victory moved Forest to five points from their opening matches, with Coventry City next at the City Ground on September 19.

Tosin Oyediran is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over eight years of professional experience in reporting and storytelling. He is known for conducting incisive interviews and producing compelling human-angle stories that bring clarity and depth to the news. Tosin covers a broad range of beats including politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment, with a strong focus on people-centred reporting. His work reflects firsthand newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a commitment to accurate, engaging, and trustworthy journalism.