Aston Villa 2-1 Nottingham Forest: Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen on target as Unai Emery's Champions League chasers close gap despite nervy second half

These European Cup winners with Champions League dreams served up a second-half classic that left you hoping they compete together on club football’s grandest stage next season.

To have Nottingham Forest, who lifted the trophy in 1979 and 1980, and Aston Villa, who did so in 1982, fighting each other again for places in Europe’s finest club competition is a delight.

Football in this country is about so much more than the so-called ‘big six’ and Forest and Villa are producing special seasons, reminders of their own fabulous history but also that of the wider English game, when wealth alone did not guarantee success.

Both clubs are in the FA Cup semi-finals, while Villa take on newly-crowned French champions Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight of the Champions League. Nights like those are so close for Forest that they can almost touch them. They remain third, six points clear of sixth-placed Villa, who are level on points with Manchester City in fifth. The top five are all likely to qualify for the Champions League.

Early goals from Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen ensured Villa just nicked this one, clinching their seventh consecutive win and justifying boss Unai Emery’s decision to make eight changes to his starting XI, with an eye on Wednesday’s first leg in Paris.

‘We enjoy competing in the Champions League and the FA Cup, but the Premier League is the most important because it is through the league that we can reach our objective for the next season,’ Emery said. ‘PSG is a huge challenge. They are favourites but we are going to try to prepare as best as possible to compete against a very good team.’

Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 on Saturday to boost their Champions League ambitions

Morgan Rogers opened the scoring before Donyell Malen (right, No 17) netted Villa's second

Forest pulled one back through Jota Silva to set up a grandstand finish at Villa Park

Despite leaving with nothing, Forest should not be disheartened. Two goals down at half-time and without top scorer Chris Wood and back-up centre-forward Taiwo Awoniyi, Forest were brilliant after the break and deserved more than their sole strike from substitute Jota Silva.

Murillo hit the bar from distance in stoppage time and Neco Williams, Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White missed excellent chances before that.

‘Football is about strikers,’ admitted Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who revealed Anthony Elanga had been taken off at half-time as an injury concern.

‘We miss Chris and we miss Taiwo because with the way we play, we need a reference player. It’s hard for other players to do the same.’

With Forest tentative early on, Villa took control. Ian Maatsen had already drawn a save from Matz Sels and the Forest goalkeeper was beaten in the 13th minute.

Amadou Onana took a short free-kick to Youri Tielemans and, under no pressure, his fellow Belgian spotted Rogers charging into the box.

The pass was as good as the first touch, which allowed Rogers to drill home.

Moments later it was 2-0, with Tielemans central again. His reverse-ball caught out Ryan Yates and when Maatsen sent it across goal, Malen was there before Williams and steered it in.

Rogers finished low into the corner after being picked out by Youri Tielemans' floated pass

Malen then netted two minutes later after finishing Ian Maatsen's delivery from close range

But Silva ensured a nervy final half an hour after his strike went through Ezri Konsa's legs

Matz Sels was called into action several times in the second half to keep Forest in the game

Forest remain third in the table but are now just six points ahead of the in-form Villa

MATCH FACTS AND RATINGS Aston Villa (4-4-1-1): Martinez 7; Garcia 7 (Konsa 46, 6), Disasi 5, Mings 6.5, Maatsen 6; Malen 6.5 (Ramsey 62, 6), Onana 6 (Kamara 62, 6.5), Tielemans 7.5, Rogers 7; Asensio 6 (McGinn 73, 6.5); Watkins 5.5 (Rashford 62, 6) Subs not used: Cash, Digne, Torres, Olsen Goals: Rogers 13, Malen 15 Booked: Asensio, Martinez Manager: Unai Emery 7 Nottingham Forest (3-4-3): Sels 7.5; Morato 5 (Boly 75, 6), Murillo 6.5, Milenkovic 6.5; Dominguez 6 (Sosa 75, 6.5), Anderson 6.5, Yates 7, Williams 7; Elanga 6 (Jota 46, 7), Gibbs-White 7.5, Hudson-Odoi 7 Subs not used: Sangare, Toffolo, Moreira, Danilo, Miguel, Abbott Goals: Silva 57 Booked: Morato, Silva Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo 7 Referee: Simon Hooper 6 Attendance: 42,743 Advertisement

When Forest returned after the interval, Jota had replaced Elanga and the change worked.

Williams and Hudson-Odoi had already gone close when Williams beat Maatsen on the left and even though Anderson impeded him, Jota found space to shoot and the deflection off Ezri Konsa took it beyond Martinez.

Emery made a triple change and Marcus Rashford, one of the substitutes, was left waiting in vain for a tap-in when Rogers choose to shoot not pass.

Forest kept pushing. Anderson was off target again and so was Gibbs-White — though not by much.

In stoppage time, Murillo’s rocket from 25 yards was too good for Martinez and Villa were rescued by the crossbar, just before Sels denied Rashford his first goal for Villa at this ground.

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