Young stunner earns Aston Villa draw for denying struggling Nottingham Forest

 Young stunner earns Aston Villa draw for denying struggling Nottingham Forest

Ashley Young celebrates Aston Villa's first half draw.

With a shiny new contract, Steve Cooper and Nottingham Forest needed a response. Although they failed to get the three points they wanted, they halted their five-match losing run after taking a draw from a dull but heated contest at home against Aston Villa - a result that saw them move to the bottom of the table. lifts off.

For Steven Gerrard, it was another disappointing watch as his Villa team again worked their way into the last third. Ashley Young's sensational strike canceled Emmanuel Dennis' opener by Trent River on an autumn evening, but Villa came back badly on nine points from their opening nine games - a tally that meant they were in the relegation zone. three points above - hardly the start he envisioned.

Nottingham Forest 1-1 Aston Villa: Premier League - As it happened

Full-time whistles were greeted with some booze from the far end. While some remaining glass-half-full Villa fans may point to the draw extending their unbeaten run to four matches, it was not a narrative Gerard was set to entertain. "I don't want to sit here and talk about four matches unbeaten because that's not enough," he said.

“Last two performances, we need to take maximum points instead of just one, so there is a lot of disappointment. I have challenged the forward players to give us more because I think there is not much wrong by that time.”

After another eventful week, One fans made their love for Cooper clear. As the Forest manager left for the dugout a few minutes before kick-off, as is his ritual, he applauded around the stadium and gave the fans who loved him, some of whom raised a flag at the Bridgford stand. And a banner hoisted with the words "Leader of Garibaldi" with a soothing thumbs up. With the final whistle, Cooper walked into a lap of the pitch, patting his chest as he went.

When asked what the fans' support meant to him, Cooper replied succinctly: "Everything. I'm not a huge lover of personal attention — on personal stuff, no one will ever know what it's like." it means."

For Villa, it was another game that Gerard described as his "big-hitter". Philippe Coutinho was withdrawn 65 minutes after another anonymous performance, Amy Bendia flattered for cheating, and Ollie Watkins was stripped. John McGinn's possession in midfield was very difficult and Douglas Luiz appeared indifferent.

Coutinho's night came to an end when he overtook Ryan Yates, who preferred to wear the captain's armband for Forrest, and then proceeded to push his shot high and wide. "The names are there, the talent is there," Gerard said. "We've had big recruits in that area of ​​the pitch and it's fitting that we demand and expect more."

Forest Asha Cooper's new three-year deal will quell the chaos but Dennis' 15th-minute opener served to whip up an already vocal home crowd. Morgan Gibbs-White sent a free-kick into the box and Dennis easily escaped Tyrone Mings to look for a free header in front of Amy Martinez.

Gerrard was soon deep in discussions with Austin McPhee, Villa set-piece coach, possibly asking how Dennis was ranked so high to score on his Full One league debut.

As it looked like Villa was running dry on ideas, the 37-year-old Young, arguably Villa's best performer in recent weeks, was a brilliant equalizer. Watkins rises above Serge Aurier to slam the ball down into the 18-yard box. Yates threw himself to clear the ball, but it dropped invitingly over the edge of the box and Young made a clean effort into the top corner. Cooper was furious with fourth official, Tony Harrington, that Villa had been awarded a free-kick at the halfway point in the buildup, in which Ezri Konsa was lucky to win a foul after engaging with Gibbs-White.

We need to focus on the positives,” Cooper said. "We're out at the bottom of the league and it's a psychological progression."

Five minutes into the second half, Jacob Ramsey centered the ball in search of a secret Watkins, but Scott McKenna intervened brilliantly and nearly intervened to stop some tap-ins and compound Gerard's pain. "I know we should have more points, we should have more goals," he said.

"I'm not stupid. I haven't buried my head under the sand. I know there's pressure, from day one we didn't get the result we should have got against Bournemouth. I can't stand the outside noise, the pressure and the outsiders." I am very well aware of what they are saying."