Unai Emery plays Aston Villa masterstroke as Victor Lindelof stars vs Nottingham Forest
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Credit: Imago Fri 8 May 2026 7:30, UK Unai Emery had a trick up his sleeve in the shape of Victor Lindelof as Aston Villa turned the tables on Nottingham Forest at Villa Park.The Villans barely put up a fight in the Europa League semi-final first leg, but on Thursday, 7 May, it was Vitor Pereira’s side that cowered away from the stadium following a 4-0 defeat on the night.Ollie Watkins and Emi Buendia grabbed the headlines in the first half, overturning the one-goal deficit before the hour mark, before John McGinn wrapped up their spot in the Europa League final with a brace.Villa will play Freiburg in Istanbul on May 20, and while Lindelof was thrown into the lineup out of position, his overall performance seemed to go under the radar. ⚽ Aston Villa Matchday ⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Aston Villa fixture. VISIT THE VILLA MATCH HUBVictor Lindelof may have a new position at Villa ParkThose at Villa Park appreciated the defender’s happiness to play anywhere for the team, applauding him off the pitch when being replaced by Lamare Bogarde for the final 15 minutes.
MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES While he rarely had to stick a foot in, the former Man United centre-back did his job perfectly, shielding the back line, allowing those in front of him to attack, and acting as a constant wall in the middle of the park.With Boubacar Kamara sidelined and Amadou Onana unable to stay fit, Emery has been desperate for a consistent partner next to Youri Tielemans, and he might have found that player.Victor Lindelof vs Nottingham ForestStats [FotMob]Minutes played74Touches46Passing accuracy86% (32/37)Tackles1Recoveries2Ground duels won50% (1/2)Fouls committed1Lindelof’s future at B6 had been uncertain, despite being signed on a free transfer last summer, but the Sweden international is likely to at least see out his contract until the end of the next season.Unai Emery unlikely to overuse the tactic for Aston VillaSpeaking before the game, Emery hardly gave anything away about how Lindelof would feature in the semi-final second leg, replying with just one sentence when asked about the decision.He simply said, “Lindelof is not a goalkeeper,” and while the manager was correct, he had much more of an impact than Emi Martinez, who was rarely forced into action by Forest’s forwards.Of course, Emery will be hoping to have his first-choice players back for the remaining games of the season, and especially the final, but it will be a relief to know that Lindelof can do a job in the middle. 🦁 ASTON VILLA INSIDER UPDATE 🦁 Get the inside track on the Villa Park dugout, transfer strategy, player wages, and technical leadership at Bodymoor Heath. Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from Villa Park.