Forest have history in their sights in Europa showdown with Villa

Vitor Pereira has urged Nottingham Forest to set up a “fantastic” end to a rollercoaster season when they face Aston Villa on Thursday, within touching distance of the Europa League final.

Pereira’s side will defend a 1-0 lead from the semi-final first leg as they look to reach a European final for the first time in 46 years.

Not since the halcyon days of Brian Clough, who masterminded the club’s European Cup triumphs in 1979 and 1980, have Forest played for a major continental trophy.

In their first European semi-final since 1983/84, Forest have a slender advantage thanks to Chris Wood’s penalty at the City Ground last week.

If Pereira’s men can finish the job at Villa Park, they would face Portuguese side Braga or German club Freiburg in the final in Istanbul on May 20.

Forest will go into the second leg on a high after a 3-1 win at Chelsea on Sunday moved them six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

Pereira made eight changes against Chelsea, but the understudies secured a third successive league win as Forest’s unbeaten run in all competitions stretched to 10 matches.

With his stars rested, Pereira believes that Forest can enjoy a golden end to the season.

“I said to them: you are a special group because you work with four different managers, different ways to think football, different methodologies,” said Pereira, who took charge in February.

“You faced a difficult season. Now you are in a moment we decide everything. We can finish the season in a fantastic way.”

‘An inspiration for us’

Winning the Europa League and ensuring Premier League survival would make Pereira part of Forest folklore.

But he insisted that would not put him on a par with Clough, who also led Forest to the English title and is immortalised with a statue in Nottingham city centre.

“If we want to put our name in the history of this club, we need to get to the final, to win the final,” he said.

“I don’t want my statue anywhere but we can imagine what he was in this city. For the new generations, for sure it’s an inspiration for us.”

Forest are playing in Europe for the first time since 1995/96 as they chase a first major trophy since the 1990 League Cup.

They have not been in any major final since losing to Manchester United in the 1992 League Cup.

After the sackings of Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche, Pereira has revitalised a club starved of success over the past three decades.

In contrast to Forest’s vibrant form, Villa slipped to a third successive defeat in all competitions after Unai Emery made seven changes for Saturday’s 2-1 loss at home to lowly Tottenham.

Revealing he had been forced to remind his players of the principles of his reign, a visibly agitated Emery said: “I am here for more than three years, and how we have done everything, I don’t forget it.

“We spoke in the dressing room after the first half about it. We can perform better or worse, but I am not losing my mind and my point of view about how I want to get it.”

Emery has a well-earned reputation as a Europa League specialist after winning the competition three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal, as well as finishing as a runner-up with Arsenal.

But Villa have been semi-final flops under Emery, losing in the last four against Olympiakos in the 2023/2024 UEFA Conference League and to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup last season.

Villa have not won a major trophy since the 1996 League Cup, while their last major continental final was the 1982 European Cup triumph against Bayern Munich.