Nottingham Forest took a commanding step toward European glory on Thursday, punishing a costly Aston Villa mistake to claim a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final at the City Ground.
Chris Wood was the hero for Forest, calmly slotting home a second-half penalty after Villa defender Lucas Digne's needless handball gifted the hosts a golden opportunity. It was a moment of madness from the French left-back, and Wood made no mistake from 12 yards.
The goal marked the New Zealand striker's fifth of an injury-interrupted campaign, and it could prove to be his most important yet. Forest now sit just one step away from their first European final since 1980—a remarkable turnaround for a club that has spent much of the season fighting for Premier League survival.
Vitor Pereira's side have been on fire, winning nine consecutive matches across all competitions. That streak has lifted them five points clear of the relegation zone and put them on the brink of a trip to Istanbul for the final on May 20. The second leg takes place at Villa Park on May 7, with the winner facing either Braga or Freiburg.
Braga won the other semi-final first leg 2-1 on Thursday, but all eyes are on this all-English showdown.
For Forest, reaching the final would be a fairy-tale ending to what has been a chaotic season. The club has cycled through four managers—Nuno Espírito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche, and now Pereira—and endured a tense relegation battle. Yet here they are, in their first European semi-final since losing to Anderlecht in the 1983-84 UEFA Cup.
Forest's golden era under Brian Clough saw them crowned European champions in 1979 and 1980, but success has been scarce since. They are playing in Europe for the first time since 1995-96 and chasing their first major trophy since the 1990 League Cup. They haven't appeared in any major final since losing to Manchester United in the 1992 League Cup.
On the other side, Villa boss Unai Emery is no stranger to Europa League success. He's won the competition three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal, and finished runner-up with Arsenal. But his Villa side have developed an unfortunate habit of falling at the semi-final stage, losing to Olympiacos in the 2024 UEFA Conference League and Crystal Palace in the 2025 FA Cup.
Villa are still on track for Champions League qualification via a top-five Premier League finish. But being knocked out by their Midlands rivals would be a bitter pill to swallow—especially for a club that hasn't won a major trophy in decades.