Aston Villa suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, leaving manager Unai Emery searching for answers following a summer rebuild. Three losses in four opening games have put Villa in a precarious position, potentially sitting bottom of the table if Coventry beat Brighton. The match saw Forest's Liam Delap score just 45 seconds after the restart, with Villa equalising through Alysson before Igor Jesus secured victory for the visitors in the dying moments.

Tyrone Mings slumped to the floor at full-time as Villa's defensive frailties were exposed, conceding 22 shots and 32 touches in the box. Emery criticized a challenge on Ian Maatsen, believing it should have been a red card for James McAtee, though he refused to use it as an excuse for the team's performance. Key absentees included Pau Torres and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, while new signing Matteo Ruggeri may be called upon due to Maatsen's injury.

Emery's side struggled to create chances, with Nicolas Jackson replaced at half-time. The defeat marks a difficult start to the season, contrasting sharply with last year's fourth-place finish and Europa League triumph.