Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest live
- Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final | Kick off at 8pm, live on TNT Sports
- Forest won first left 1-0 and hold slim advantage over fellow Premier League side
- Villa remains favourites to win Europa League despite trailing in tie
- Injured Morgan Gibbs-White on the bench for visitors
Atmosphere building at Villa Park
19:10 , Flo Clifford
Nottingham Forest team news
19:01 , Flo CliffordSo no Gibbs-White in the starting XI, with Aina - who featured in last week’s leg - dropping out of the squad entirely in the only other change from that game. Cunha and McAtee come in instead.
In better news for Forest, important defender Murillo is fit enough to make the bench after some recent injury woes.
Young defender Abbott, who featured against Chelsea but came off as a concussion substitute, is also not involved.
Aston Villa team news
18:58 , Flo CliffordUnai Emery makes one change to the side that lost the opening leg, with Lindelof making a surprise appearance in midfield, in place of Onana.
Gibbs-White on the bench
18:51 , Flo CliffordThe big news for tonight is that Gibbs-White, who sustained a nasty facial injury in Forest’s recent Premier League win over Chelsea and needed at least 11 stitches, is on the bench.
Forest will need Jesus, McAtee and Wood to step up in his place.
Nottingham Forest XI
18:49 , Flo CliffordNottingham Forest XI: Ortega, Cunha, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Hutchinson, Dominguez, Anderson, McAtee, Jesus, Wood.
Substitutes: Sels, Willows, Murillo, Sangare, Gibbs-White, Ndoye, Lucca, Yates, Bakwa, Whitehall, Sinclair, Hanks
Team news! 🗞️ pic.twitter.com/9nPoDfaaDM
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 7, 2026
Aston Villa XI
18:45 , Flo CliffordAston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Digne, Tielemans, Lindelof, McGinn, Buendia, Rogers, Watkins
Substitutes: Bizot, Wright, Bogarde, Maatsen, Mings, Garcia, Luiz, Bailey, Elliott, Sancho, Abraham
Your #UEL semi-final Villa XI this evening ✊ pic.twitter.com/QRXFvJgwKF
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 7, 2026
Forest's biggest threat
18:42 , Mike JonesNottingham Forest’s Igor Jesus has been directly involved in the most away goals in this season’s Europa League (5 – 4 goals, 1 assist).
He has also had the most shots (34), shots on target (16) and posted the highest xG figure (6.7) in the competition overall this term.
Rogers to be Villa's star man?
18:36 , Mike JonesAston Villa’s Morgan Rogers has been directly involved in five goals in six home appearances in this season’s Europa League (2 goals, 3 assists), while he has also scored (1) or assisted (1) in his last two outings at Villa Park against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
Emery's experience to pull through?
18:30 , Mike JonesAston Villa manager Unai Emery has only once before lost both legs of a knockout stage tie in the Uefa Cup/Europa League and that was with Valencia against Atlético de Madrid in the 2011-12 semi-finals.
In fact, that was the last two-legged tie the Spaniard was eliminated from in this competition, progressing from 22 in a row since.
Vitor Pereira fancies ‘fantastic’ finish for Forest after fine win at Chelsea
18:24 , Mike JonesNottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira said his team can finish the season “in a fantastic way” after they won 3-1 at Stamford Bridge to condemn Chelsea to a sixth consecutive Premier League defeat.
The meek manner in which the home side sank to their worst run of losses since 1993 was in stark contrast to Forest who came to west London with a second-string XI and won with room to spare to pull six points clear of the relegation zone.
Vitor Pereira fancies ‘fantastic’ finish for Forest after fine win at Chelsea
A stubborn defence
18:18 , Mike JonesNo team have recorded more clean sheets in the 2025-26 Europa League than both Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest (7).
Forest restricted Villa to an xG of 0.8 in the first leg, their second lowest tally in a knockout stage game this term.
Can Villa reach the final?
18:12 , Mike JonesAston Villa are aiming to reach a second major European final, after the 1981-82 European Cup.
But, the last team to overturn a first leg deficit in a major European tie against an opponent from the same nation as them were Atletico de Madrid vs Barcelona in the 2015-16 Champions League quarter-finals.
A third final for Forest?
18:06 , Mike JonesNottingham Forest are looking to reach a third major European final after, the 1978-79 and 1979-80 European Cups.
Forest have only been eliminated from one of their last 13 knockout stage ties when winning the first leg, with that the 1983-84 Uefa Cup semi-final against Anderlecht.
Morgan Gibbs-White could wear face mask for Europa League semi-final
18:00 , Mike JonesNottingham Forest will give Morgan Gibbs-White as much time as possible to prove his fitness ahead of the Europa League semi-final second leg at Aston Villa.
Gibbs-White suffered a sickening cut to his forehead during Monday’s impressive 3-1 win at Chelsea which forced him off in the second half.
There are no concussion protocols regarding the midfielder’s injury, rather whether the wound will heal sufficiently enough for him to be involved as Forest try and book their first European final since 1980.
Gibbs-White could wear face mask for Europa League semi-final after nasty injury
Fortress Villa Park
17:54 , Mike JonesAston Villa have won each of their last nine home games in major European competition, since a 0-0 draw with Juventus in last season’s Champions League.
They have also scored in 31 of their last 32 matches at Villa Park in such competitions, with that goalless draw the sole exception.
European prowess
17:48 , Mike JonesNottingham Forest are unbeaten in each of their three European games against fellow English opposition, keeping a clean sheet each time.
Their only previous away match was at Anfield versus Liverpool in the 1978-79 European Cup first round, wher they drew 0-0.
Villa's impressive record vs Forest
17:42 , Mike JonesAston Vila are unbeaten in each of their last 10 meetings with Nottingham Forest at Villa Park across all competitions with seven wins and three draws.
Their last defeat was a 2-0 loss in the Premier League in October 1994 under Ron Atkinson.
A tale of two Morgans: why Gibbs-White and Rogers hold the key to Villa and Forest’s European dreams
17:30 , Kieran JacksonFor a season of so many zeniths and dreams, it has been quite the week of doom and gloom for Aston Villa and their manager Unai Emery.
Three defeats on the spin, including a wretched home defeat to Tottenham on Sunday, is glaring in its pecularity when you consider their position in the table (fifth, on course for Champions League qualification) and their impressive run in Europe.
Yet the contrast to tonight’s visitors, Nottingham Forest, is stark.
A tale of two Morgans: why Gibbs-White and Rogers hold the key to European dreams
Nottingham Forest's early team news
17:24 , Mike JonesTaiwo Awoniyi - who scored twice against Chelsea - is not in the visitors’ European squad, while Ola Aina, Ibrahim Sangare and Murillo, who all missed the win at Stamford Bridge, are doubts.
The main worry for Forest boss Vitor Pereira is the fitness of Morgan Gibbs-White, who clashed heads with Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez and was whisked off the pitch for several stitches on a deep-looking gash.
Pereira said on Wednesday that they would have a “last meeting” involving the medical team to decide whether he would play.
Predicted Nottingham Forest XI: Ortega, Abbott, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Hutchinson, Dominguez, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Jesus, Wood
Aston Villa's early team news
17:18 , Mike JonesUnai Emery is bound to make significant changes after several of his star players were rested against Spurs.
Captain John McGinn missed that defeat with a minor muscle issue but should be fit to return, although Amadou Onana is more of a doubt with a calf issue.
Ross Barkley is ineligible while the injured Boubacar Kamara will definitely miss out.
Predicted Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Bogarde, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Buendia, Watkins
How can I watch it?
17:12 , Mike JonesViewers in the UK can watch the game live on TNT Sports 1 and stream the match live on HBO Max.
When is Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest?
17:06 , Mike JonesAston Villa host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Thursday 7 May in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final, with kick-off at 8pm.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest
17:00 , Mike JonesAston Villa and Nottingham Forest face off in the second leg of their all-English Europa League semi-final, with tonight’s visitors carrying a slim lead into the tie.
A moment of madness from Lucas Digne in the opening leg, flinging his arm up as he duelled with Omari Hutchinson for a ball at the byline, proved crucial as Forest were awarded a penalty for handball.
There was a lengthy VAR check but Chris Wood kept his cool to smash home a glorious spot-kick, and Forest maintained their 1-0 advantage despite a late Villa barrage.
The two teams are in contrasting form - a second-string Forest side, with the A-listers rested for this leg, dispatched Chelsea 3-1 last time out while a much-changed Villa toiled to defeat against relegation-threatened Tottenham - and Unai Emery’s men must rediscover the form that previously made them Europa League favourites if they are to reach the final.
Good evening!
11:21 , Mike JonesWelcome to The Independent’s coverage on tonight’s Europa League clash between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.
The two Premier League sides meet again following Forest’s 1-0 victory at the City Ground last week and manager Vítor Pereira will be hoping his team can maintain their lead and reach the Europa League final.
However, Aston Villa remain the favourites to win the whole competition and in Unai Emery they have a manager who has won this tournament several times.
With the benefit of home advantage can Villa claw back the deficit and sweep Forest aside tonight?
We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and updates throughout the evening so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 8pm.
