Aston Villa captain John McGinn has warned his side must prove they are not the 'nearly men' after they secured a place in the Europa League final for the first time since 1982. Villa thrashed Nottingham Forest 4-0 in the semi-final second leg at Villa Park, with McGinn scoring twice late on to seal a dominant victory.
Dominant Display
Goals from Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Buendia, who converted a penalty, set the stage before McGinn's brace completed the rout. The win keeps Unai Emery on track for a record fifth Europa League title. Villa will face Freiburg in Istanbul on 20 May.
This was Villa's third semi-final in three seasons, having lost in the Europa Conference League semi-finals in 2023-24 and the FA Cup semi-finals last season. McGinn acknowledged the pressure to avoid further disappointment.
'We didn't want to leave these games with any regrets, and I think we've done ourselves massive justice,' McGinn said. 'We've had low moments. It's a demanding club to play for but what we've done in the last few years is exceptional. The margins are so slim. If we lost, we're the nearly men.'
Emotional Night
The match was attended by Prince William, who joined the players in the dressing room afterwards. McGinn admitted to feeling unusually nervous before the game. 'Tonight was up with one of the best performances I've seen from a Villa team for a long time,' he said.
'I wasn't nervous in terms of the team turning up. We've turned up in big games, maybe just not in big semi-finals. The injuries Forest have had may have helped decide it, but we needed to capitalise – and we did.'
Emery's Pedigree
Emery won the Europa League three times in a row with Sevilla (2013-2016) and again with Villarreal in 2021. He also reached the final with Arsenal in 2019. Watkins praised the manager's experience. 'There is no better manager than this to get us prepared for this game and take us into the final,' said the England striker. 'His track record speaks for itself. We need to go and win it now.'
Emery said of Prince William's presence: 'He was in the dressing room with the players and, of course, he is so happy. We will enjoy the final with our supporters.'
Forest's Woes
Nottingham Forest head coach Vitor Pereira pointed to his side's lengthy injury list as a key factor. He revealed that Morgan Gibbs-White, who was an unused substitute, was never fit enough to play. 'If you look at our bench, we brought on the three players in condition to play: Lorenzo Lucca, Dilane Bakwa and Ryan Yates,' Pereira said. 'We had three injured players, who were not in condition to help the team, three boys from the academy and Murillo, who would have been a risk to play. Tomorrow it's time to come back with energy because we don't have time to complain.'
Champions League Implications
The result also benefited Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton, who now have a clearer path to Champions League qualification. If Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth in the Premier League, the sixth-placed team will also qualify for the Champions League. Bournemouth currently occupy sixth spot ahead of their weekend visit to Fulham.
