Online Reporter
OLLIE WATKINS continued his revival as Aston Villa bounced back from defeat to punish careless Nottingham Forest 3-1 yesterday. The England striker’s fourth goal in three games helped earn Villa an 11th straight home win — their best run in 36 years — the perfect response to the loss at Arsenal four days ago.
John McGinn’s double helped Villa move up to second in the Premier League and 12 points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea, despite Morgan Gibbs-White pulling a goal back.
The hosts added to Forest’s woes as they suffered a fourth straight league defeat for the first time in over two years, part of a run which saw Steve Cooper sacked. Sean Dyche’s men are four points above the relegation zone and travel to third-bottom West Ham on Tuesday for a crucial reunion with former manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Aside from an Omari Hutchinson effort, Dyche’s sloppy side rarely threatened and could have been behind early when John Victor brilliantly denied Watkins. Yet Watkins — who scored just once in his opening 19 games this season — fired in from 20 yards in first-half stoppage time before McGinn made it 2-0 soon after the break.
Gibbs-White coolly made it 2-1 but goalkeeper John went walkabout and McGinn restored Villa’s two-goal advantage when he found the empty net from 35 yards. — BBC.
