Nottingham Forest player ratings vs Aston Villa – Omari Hutchinson 9/10, Igor Jesus struggles
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Credit: Imago Thu 30 April 2026 21:54, UK Nottingham Forest picked up a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday at the City Ground.It was a tight first half, with Emi Martinez on hand to pull off a fantastic save from Igor Jesus’ shot to keep the scoreline level at the break.After the break, chances continued to remain limited, but a Digne handball inside the Villa box eventually led to a penalty for the hosts after a VAR check, which Chris Wood coolly converted.From here, Forest were able to see out the remaining minute and will now take a massive advantage to Villa Park next week for the second leg.Below, Football Insider has rated the players after a vital Forest victory. ⚽ Nottingham Forest Matchday ⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Nottingham Forest fixture. VISIT THE FOREST MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Omari Hutchinson was a creative mastermind vs Aston VillaWhile plenty of questions have been asked of Omari Hutchinson since his big-money move from Ipswich Town, in recent weeks, he has finally shown his ability.Against Aston Villa, the winger was totally dominant against Digne and was able to create numerous chances for the hosts.Omari Hutchinson’s stats vs Aston Villa Minutes90Chances created4Shots2Passing accuracy 88%Dribbles completed6Ground duels won11Hutchinson was excellent against Aston Villa.
Credit: FotmobThis eventually led to the opener, as Hutchinson’s cross hit the full-back’s arm, which eventually led to a penalty after a VAR check.While he did not pick up a goal or an assist for his display, it was no doubt one of his best games in a Forest shirt yet.Hopefully, this will continue for the second leg next week.Igor Jesus disappoints for Nottingham ForestFootball Insider has exclusively revealed that Jesus is attracting interest from big clubs in Europe ahead of the summer, but his recent performance will not have helped him in this regard.While the striker was not awful, he struggled to make a big impact up top throughout.Taking a lead to Villa Park. 👊 pic.twitter.com/bheT1hGYkz— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 30, 2026 Jesus failed to complete a single dribble or accurate cross, and the only chance that he had was saved, albeit it was a top stop from Martinez.If Forest are to see out the rest of this tie, they need Jesus to improve at Villa Park.The striker has been excellent in the Europa League all season, and the club needs a goalscoring display next week.Nottingham Forest player ratings vs Aston VillaStefan Ortega – 7/10Ola Aina – 7/10Nikola Milenkovic – 7/10Morato – 7/10Neco Williams – 6/10Omari Hutchinson – 9/10Nicolas Dominguez – 7/10Elliot Anderson – 8/10Morgan Gibbs-White – 7/10Igor Jesus – 5/10Chris Wood – 7/10SubstitutesZach Abbott (on for Aina, 75’) – n/aRyan Yates (on for Jesus, 90′) – n/a Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Nottingham Forest Insider Access Get the full story from the City Ground and the Forest Training Centre with our dedicated expert hubs: Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the banks of the River Trent.