Ollie Watkins: The crucial goal just before halftime boosted the team's confidence, which allowed us to approach the game more calmly in the second half.
2026-01-04 01:20

Ollie Watkins was delighted with Aston Villa's 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park, putting them back on winning ways. The player delivered a stellar performance in his 250th appearance for the club, opening the scoring with a brilliant 20-yard shot in first-half stoppage time.
This was the striker's fourth goal in three consecutive matches, and his seventh of the season. Ollie Watkins said, "I was very happy to see the ball fly into the top corner of the goal; I rarely score from outside the penalty area."
The goal came at just the right time, and the first half seemed destined to end in a draw. Despite Aston Villa's dominance, they were held to a tough draw by Nottingham Forest. Ollie Watkins commented: "The result against Arsenal a few days ago was disappointing, so beating this strong team at Villa Park was crucial. Sean Dyche's team always gives their all and is very difficult to beat; we also looked a bit frustrated in the first half."
"Our opponents posed a lot of challenges for us, but we made a key breakthrough before the end of the first half. I think that boosted the team's confidence and allowed us to play more comfortably in the second half."
Early in the second half, John McGinn's powerful shot extended Aston Villa's lead to two goals. Morgan Gibbs-White then gave Nottingham Forest a glimmer of hope with a brilliant finish. However, in the 73rd minute, captain John McGinn capitalized on a defensive lapse, rounding goalkeeper John Victor from about 30 yards out and easily slotting the ball into the empty net, putting his team back within two goals.
This was his first brace in the Premier League. Aston Villa, after their 11-game winning streak ended midweek, have resumed their winning streak at Villa Park, marking their first 11-game winning streak since the 1989-1990 season.
Finally, Ollie Watkins gave high praise to Aston Villa captain Genie. He said, "Genie's performance was outstanding, and I can't praise him enough. He was incredible, and it was very difficult to take the ball from him. No matter where he was placed, he made a great contribution to the team, and I think that's why he deserves to be captain. It's also worth mentioning that he returned to the starting lineup and scored two goals, which was excellent."
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