Aston Villa stormed into the Europa League final with a commanding 4-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on 7 May, completing a 4-1 aggregate win in their all-English semi-final to set up a showpiece against Freiburg in Istanbul on 20 May. For manager Unai Emery, it was a sixth Europa League final as a manager, and a fifth chance to lift the trophy he has made his own.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Villa came out with an urgency and intensity that left Forest with nowhere to hide on a pulsating night in Birmingham. The hosts dominated from start to finish and were rewarded in the 36th minute when Ollie Watkins tapped in after brilliant footwork from Emiliano Buendia, who was irrepressible throughout.
Thirteen minutes into the second half, Buendia added a second himself, coolly converting a penalty after Nikola Milenkovic needlessly tugged Pau Torres’ shirt inside the area. The tie was now level on aggregate and the atmosphere inside Villa Park, already remarkable, became something close to extraordinary.
Captain John McGinn then took centre stage. The Scottish midfielder swept in two carbon-copy goals in the 77th and 80th minutes to send the 43,000 supporters, including Villa-supporting Prince William, into absolute delirium. Forest, who managed just two shots on target to Villa’s 10, were utterly outplayed by a team 11 places above them in the Premier League table.
Watkins, whose head was bandaged for much of the evening following an early clash, paid generous tribute to his manager afterwards. “There is no better manager than this to get us prepared for this game and take us into the final. His track record speaks for itself. We need to go there and win now,” he said.
Buendia credited the crowd as a decisive factor. “They were a 12th man. We have shown all season how well we can play, and we did it today. We deserved this,” he said. McGinn, meanwhile, kept his feet firmly on the ground. “The atmosphere was electric, but we have still got one game to go to achieve what we want.”
The occasion carried particular significance for Emery, whose relationship with the Europa League is unlike any other manager in the history of the competition. His four wins include three with Sevilla in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and one with Villarreal in 2021, either side of a final defeat with Arsenal in 2019. The “Mr Europa League” tag, applied by fans and media alike, has followed him throughout his career, and with good reason.
Now 54, Emery heads to Istanbul seeking a fifth title, this time with an English club for the first time. He left the pitch quickly after the final whistle, pumping his fist briefly at the crowd before stepping back to let his players celebrate with the supporters. Typically understated, he refused to look past Freiburg. “Now we have to look to the final,” he said, adding that he hoped Villa would do “something fantastic” for their fans. “German teams are so difficult. Their coaches, their players are so good,” he warned.
For Forest, it was a dispiriting end to an extraordinary European run. Manager Vitor Pereira, the club’s fourth of a chaotic season, pointed to injuries and the recent effort of hauling his side clear of the Premier League relegation zone as mitigating factors. “I am proud of my players because they tried everything, but in the end we did not have the conditions to compete in this game. Today was not possible. It is a pity,” he said.
Both Villa and Forest are former European champions, Villa having won the European Cup in 1982 and Forest lifting it in 1979 and 1980. Villa last won silverware in 1996 when they lifted the League Cup, and Forest’s last trophy came in 1990. The wait continues for one of them. For the other, Istanbul beckons.
Emery had rested players for Sunday’s Premier League defeat to Tottenham, a 2-1 loss that drew criticism from some supporters in sharply contrasting scenes to the euphoria of Thursday night. The decision now looks entirely justified. Villa go to Istanbul as favourites to end their 30-year wait for a trophy, with the most decorated Europa League manager in history leading them there.
