Aston Villa built on their win against Fulham with a dominant 4-2 victory over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park, a display that saw John McGinn receive a host of praise.
Aston Villa were back firing in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, as Unai Emery saw his side beat Nottingham Forest 4-2 at Villa Park.
The win saw the Villans go five points ahead of Spurs to remain in the top four, with the Lilywhites not in action this weekend.
It was a five-star day for Douglas Luiz, Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey, who all found themselves on the scoresheet, although it wasn’t just the scorers that excelled against Nuno Espirito Santo’s XI.
How John McGinn performed against Nottingham Forest
After his heroics against Fulham last weekend, captain John McGinn showed just how vital his presence is to this Villa side as his versatility shone through once more.
The Scotsman played central to cover for Boubacar Kamara’s absence, reinforcing his strengths no matter the position he occupies.
Ending the day with an assist, a 93% passing accuracy rate and two key passes, via Sofascore, McGinn was a force to be reckoned with in the final third, but that wasn’t the only place he impressed.
The skipper put in an admirable shift defensively in central midfield, winning seven ground duels, as well as making four clearances and three tackles in an impressively rounded performance.
What was said about the performance of John McGinn against Nottingham Forest
Last week, journalist John Townley lauded McGinn’s ability to play like “a man possessed” against Fulham, and the BirminghamLive correspondent had more to say on Saturday.
Taking to Twitter during the game, Townley dubbed the 29-year-old “unplayable” for his rounded performance against Forest.
“Unplayable today. To be fair, he often is.”
While the likes of Watkins and Luiz are arguably Emery’s first names on the teamsheet, McGinn’s impact on this current Villa squad shows his adaptability.
As the manager touched upon last week, this is the first time that the £120k-a-week Scotsman has challenged towards the summit with a top-flight team, portraying just how far the midfielder’s talents can go.
Everyone associated with the Midlands club was devastated to hear about the extent of Kamara’s injury, with his role in the squad seen as irreplaceable, a worry that McGinn is quickly easing.
Against Forest, the Scotland international showed once more that his team can rely on him wherever he is fielded in what was another dominating performance by the Villa captain.
