Nottingham Forest have inched further away from the relegation zone following a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa at the City Ground. The visitors took the lead in the 23rd minute when Murillo inadvertently turned Morgan Rogers' cross into his own net. However, Neco Williams' strike from the edge of the box just before halftime brought the hosts level.

Forest dominated the second half but Villa, who boosted their Champions League qualification hopes, will lament a string of missed chances, including Rogers and Ollie Watkins going close. Rogers had the best chance to win the game but scooped his shot over the crossbar after Ross Barkley's effort rebounded to him. The draw could prove to be a crucial point for Forest, who move three points clear of the relegation places after Tottenham's defeat to Sunderland. Villa remains in fourth place, three points ahead of Liverpool in the Champions League qualification race.

Nottingham Forest: Sels (7), Aina (6), Milenkovic (7), Murillo (7), Williams (8), Sangare (7), Anderson (7); Hutchinson (6), Gibbs-White (6), Hudson-Odoi (6), Jesus (6). Subs: Wood (6), Dominguez (n/a), Ndoye (n/a), Yates (n/a). Aston Villa: Bizot (7), Cash (6), Lindelof (6), Torres (7), Digne (7), Onana (7), Tielemans (7), Barkley (6), McGinn (6), Rogers (7), Watkins (6).

Subs: Luiz (n/a), Maatsen (n/a), Buendia (n/a), Abraham (n/a), Garcia (n/a). Player of the Match: Neco Williams.

Nottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira said: "It was a good point in a difficult game against a tough opponent. Both sides had opportunities, and in the end, one point is a good result. Villa is not an easy team to control, but we showed character, confidence, and spirit after conceding the goal.

We scored our goal and had chances to score more." Nottingham Forest goalscorer Neco Williams stated: "We are pleased with a point; every point is valuable at this stage of the season. We wanted three points, but Villa is a top side. It's an important point. We knew how important the second goal was, and we did.

We stuck together and had a proper team performance. The manager told me to shoot outside the box more, and that's what I did today.

I took a few shots, and one went in, so I'm pleased with that." Aston Villa manager Unai Emery said: "I am happy with how we played, how we competed, and followed the game plan. The players feel confident and comfortable.

We managed the match in 90 minutes like we planned. The first half was equal, but we dominated and had good chances to score. Of course, we had three or four chances to score, and we conceded momentum to them a few times. One point is not enough, but this is the way we want to play in the next weeks in the Premier League and Europa League."