Emery gamble on outstanding Lindelof pays off as Villa beat Forest
Emery gamble on outstanding Lindelof pays off as Villa beat Forest Aston Villa claimed a resounding 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park to book their place in the final of the Europa League. The Villains lost the first leg but made light work of their opponents on the night to seal a date with history. Villa captain John McGinn bagged a brace while Emiliano Buendia and Ollie Watkins also got on the scoresheet.
Morgan Rogers recorded an assist, and the defence held firm. Unai Emery will be especially happy with his boys, and that his tactical gamble to field Victor Lindelof in midfield paid off. With Amadou Onana dealing with injuries and Boubacar Kamara out long-term, Villa have missed a physical presence at the base of midfield beside Youri Tielemans.
Lamare Bogarde hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory when playing there, and Emery decided to roll with Lindelof, who did an excellent job. Lindelof won his one ground duel, made three interceptions, two recoveries, and completed his one attempted dribble. McGinn, speaking to TNT Sports, praised the centre-back’s performance in the engine room.
He said (via the BBC ), “Victor has been outstanding. He’s been a little bit hard done by since he signed. I don’t think he’s done a foot wrong.
“The way he fitted in there tonight was outstanding. The manager worked on it a lot. We’ve got versatile players.