Villa riding 'exciting' wave at home fortress

Aston Villa beat struggling Nottingham Forest 3-1 at home on Jan 3 to ease the pain of their midweek mauling by Arsenal, leapfrogging Manchester City into second place in the English Premier League table.

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John McGinn scoring his second goal to make it 3-1 to Aston Villa during their English Premier League home win over Nottingham Forest on Jan 3. PHOTO: REUTERS

Ollie Watkins’ strike on the cusp of halftime gave Unai Emery’s side a deserved lead and captain John McGinn grabbed a second early in the second period.

Morgan Gibbs-White pulled a goal back for the visitors, but McGinn took advantage of a brain freeze by Forest goalkeeper John Victor to restore Villa’s two-goal lead and secure the three points.

Villa’s Il-game winning streak in all competitions was brought to a shuddering halt with a 4-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Dec 30, raising doubts about their ability to maintain a title charge.

But their impressive record at Villa Park remains intact — they have now won 11 straight matches there since a 3-0 defeat by Crystal Palace in August.

“Even though it was a poor result the other night, it was a good reaction,” McGinn, 31, said.