Chris Wood stepped up to the spot and slotted home a penalty that put Nottingham Forest ahead 1-0 against Aston Villa in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, a match that was heavily influenced by a VAR decision at the City Ground. The incident that led to the spot‑kick involved Lucas Digne, whose arm was judged to have handled the ball inside his own penalty area. Initially the referee pointed to a goal‑kick for Villa, but after a quick review the officials concluded that the ball was still in play when Omari Hutchinson struck it against Digne's outstretched hand, prompting the penalty award. Wood's attempt was powerful enough to beat Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who had earlier produced a spectacular save by denying Igor Jesus a volley and then clutching the ball before it crossed the line.
Martinez's earlier heroics could not prevent the penalty from finding the net, and the goal gave Forest a crucial advantage heading into the second leg. The line‑ups for the encounter were as follows: Nottingham Forest fielded Ortega, Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Domínguez, Anderson, Gibbs‑White, Hutchinson, Jesus and Wood, with substitutes Abbott and Yates available. Aston Villa started Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Tielemans, Onana, McGinn, Buendía, Rogers and Watkins, with Bogarde, Douglas Luiz, Maatsen and Sancho on the bench. Neco Williams earned the player‑of‑the‑match award for his contributions.
Villa will be left questioning whether they did enough, especially after Ollie Watkins saw a clear chance denied by a diving save from Stefan Ortega at close range. Unai Emery, who has become something of a Europa League specialist, was satisfied that his side managed to control the tempo for much of the game, even after Forest took the lead.
He will now hope that the atmosphere at Villa Park – a venue where Forest have historically struggled – will be more favorable for his team when the second leg arrives. The match also featured a banner in the Trent End that celebrated Forest's previous European triumphs in 1979 and 1980, hinting at the club's ambition to add a third continental trophy to its history. In the other semi‑final on Thursday, Braga secured a 2-1 victory over Freiburg in Portugal, setting up a final that will be contested in Istanbul on 20 May.
Nottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira spoke to TNT Sports after the game, praising his squad's resilience: "It was a very tough opponent, but we competed well. We kept our focus on playing football and trying to score.
It was a good game. We now have time to recover and prepare for the upcoming match against Chelsea. This is a special group of players." Pereira also highlighted the honour he feels in managing the side, noting the team's spirit despite having gone through four managers in a single season and still reaching this stage of European competition.
He added, "The privilege of coaching these boys is immense. Their spirit and determination are wonderful." In terms of personnel changes, Morato and Nicolas Domínguez came on for the injured Jair Cunha and Ibrahim Sangare for Forest, while Amadou Onana replaced Lamare Bogarde in the Villa lineup. Emery's post‑match press conference centred on a contentious challenge by Elliot Anderson on Ollie Watkins, which the Villa boss described as "close to breaking his ankle." The referee did not award a foul for the incident, and while Emery did not blame the Portuguese official directly, he expressed frustration that VAR did not intervene after reviewing the footage.
"I watched the challenge and it was a huge mistake not to intervene," Emery said. "The referee did a fantastic job overall, but that moment was crystal clear and VAR should have acted." Emery reiterated his support for VAR, stating that he is "100 per cent" behind the technology, but he emphasized that it must be applied correctly and consistently: "When an action is so obvious, there should be no doubt." The handball controversy adds to a recent spate of disputed penalty decisions in European football, and Digne's mistake could prove costly for Villa, potentially influencing the outcome of the tie.
The initial decision to award a goal‑kick made sense given the ball's proximity to the touchline, but Digne's decision to raise his arms and inadvertently block Hutchinson's strike was deemed a clear error, rightly punished by the officials. Emery's record in Europa League semi‑finals also took a hit; he had previously gone unbeaten across eight consecutive semi‑final matches, a streak that ended with this defeat, the first time his side had lost at this stage since his Sevilla team fell 3-1 to Valencia in May 2014. Looking ahead, Villa will face Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday before the second leg at Villa Park, while Forest travel to Chelsea for a league match on Monday.
Both fixtures will be broadcast live, with Villa's game kicking off at 7pm and Forest's at 3pm. Fans can also try their luck in the Super 6 competition for a chance to win £250,000, with free entry available through the Sky Sports platform.