Elliot Anderson miserable, Hudson-Odoi stuns – Nottingham Forest ratings v Villa
Callum Hudson-Odoi’s fantastic performance was undermined by some poor midfield work by Elliot Anderson as Nottingham Forest lost 2-1 to Aston Villa.
With just 12 minutes gone, Youri Tielemans picked out a fine pass to the feet of Morgan Rogers, who was left completely unmarked in the penalty area and the attacking midfielder made no mistake, firing past Matz Sels.
The Tricky Trees found themselves completely spellbound by Villa’s attacking players, as Ian Maatsen turned Ryan Yates outside, then in, then back out, before whipping a ball to the feet of Donyell Malen, who made it 2-0 inside 15 minutes.
Jota Silva was brought off the bench at half-time and, in typical fashion came close to receiving a booking, before stealing the ball from the toes of Elliot Anderson and firing home to halve the deficit.
In spite of the loss, Forest remain in pole position to claim Champions League football for next season and will take on Everton in their next match on Saturday, 12 April.
Nuno Espirito Santo frustrated as Nottingham Forest drop points vs Aston Villa
Matz Sels – 5
Six saves, but was unable to keep out Villa’s first two goals, with his side ultimately losing as a consequence.
Morato (off for Boly 75′) – 4
Villa had a game plan that revolved around targeting Morato in the first half, and it worked to great effect, with both goals coming from his side.
Nikola Milenkovic – 6
Arguably one of the more consistent performers for Forest this season, whilst he didn’t shine against the Villains, Milenkovic also wasn’t at fault for the goals either.
Murillo hits the bar for Nottingham Forest late on
Murillo – 5
Murillo is a Chelsea target this summer, but the Brazilian had a quiet game for the Tricky Trees, unable to keep pace with Villa’s electric attack in the first half. Clipped the bar in the 90th minute with a trademark strike from range, desperately unlucky not to level the scores.
Nicolas Dominguez – 7
Performed impressively for Forest and is somewhat of an unsung hero this season, as the attackers and centre-backs take all the plaudits.
Ryan Yates – 5
Diligent and hard-working but will be having nightmares after Maatsen gave him the run-around.
Elliot Anderson – 3
A game to forget for the former Newcastle man, as he could not hit the target for love nor money and was outbattled and outduelled in the midfield.
Nico Williams – 7
Assisted Silva’s opener, although the cross looked to be aimed at Anderson, either way, the Welshman will have been delighted to register his first Premier League assist of the season.
Elanga struggles after Man United win
Anthony Elanga (off for Silva 46′) – 4
Having enjoyed a really rich run of form, the Swedish winger was miserable in the first half before being replaced at halftime. The lack of a true striker, given Chris Wood’s absence due to injury, left Elanga without a target to aim at.
Morgan Gibbs-White – 5
Gibbs-White is a target for Liverpool this summer, and was filling in for the injured and talismanic striker, Wood, the former Wolves man struggled in an unfamiliar role upfront, failing to be as involved as he usually is. The lack of a striker affected Forest’s shape, with the 25-year-old a better facilitator than a finisher.
Callum Hudson-Odoi – 9
Hudson-Odoi created six chances for his side, playing magnificently, but once again, the absence of a clinical goal-scorer inhibited Forest’s threat in this match.
Substitutes
Jota Silva scores from the bench for Nottingham Forest
Jota Silva (on for Elanga 46′) – 8
Brought energy, excitement, and most importantly, a goal threat to Forest after a lacklustre first-half.
Ramon Sosa (on for Dominguez 74′) – 5
Sosa struggled to get on the ball after being introduced and the Paraguayan is struggling to find his feet in the Premier League.
Willy Boly (on for Morato 75′) – 6
Didn’t do anything wrong for his side after coming on, but it was strange to see Espirito Santo maintain a back-three when in need of a goal.