Aston Villa legend Gabby Agbonlahor has given an encouraging verdict ahead of the club’s UEFA Europa Conference League fixture against Ajax after the Villans’ 4-2 victory over Nottingham Forest.
After losing three consecutive games at Villa Park, Aston Villa secured a much-needed win in front of their home fans against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The win took the Midlands club five points ahead of Spurs in 5th and eight points ahead of Manchester United in 6th, making European football look likely again next season.
Unai Emery’s high-flying side have faced their fair share of battles with injury this campaign, making their success and Saturday’s win even more of a triumph.
How Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest
It took just four minutes for Ollie Watkins to open the scoring for the hosts, tapping in a low cross from Leon Bailey after the Jamaican beat his man on the right side.
A brace from midfield maestro Douglas Luiz then took the game away from Forest, who despite managing to get two goals back, were caught out at the back as Bailey turned creator to scorer to settle the game at 4-2.
After their wobble at Villa Park, the Villans showed no sign of slowing down on their quest for the top four, with their performance praised heavily over the 90 minutes and with a look towards the future.
What Gabby Agbonlahor said about Aston Villa after the Nottingham Forest victory
Speaking on talkSPORT in reaction to Villa’s blistering win on Saturday, club legend Gabby Agbonlahor praised his former side for their progression this season.
The Englishman not only touched upon the squad’s injury troubles and hopes for a European finish after the victory, but also looked ahead to the upcoming Europa Conference League clash with Ajax.
“Tough draw against Ajax, but I fancy us if we’re at it and if we can get into European places again with a top-seven finish it’s an outstanding season.”
“Kamara’s just done his ACL, Mings done his knee – out for the season, Buendia out for the season, we’ve had injuries to Diego Carlos as well. We’ve had our fair share of injuries but we don’t hear it.”
Agbonlahor explained his frustrations over the Villans not receiving the praise they deserve at times this term, as well as backing the club to progress past Ajax in the Conference League Round of 16 tie.
The fixture is set to be a blockbuster and a real test to see just what Emery’s side are made of, with the prospect of European silverware daring Villa fans to dream.
Before the European duel, the Midlands club will hope to record three points against Luton Town next week, in the bid to extend their lead in 4th ahead of their critical meeting with Spurs on March 10th.
