The highs of the December festive period can often be followed by a lull in January. The Christmas decorations come down, healthy eating begins, and it is back to the daily routine for many of us.
Such a new-year dip could have easily occurred for Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.
Glamour victories over Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United in the final month of 2025 made way for a bread-and-butter January home fixture against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest in a bitingly cold lunchtime kick-off.
In the end, a routine 3-1 victory on Saturday was arguably more impressive than those December triumphs, with Unai Emery’s side showing the sort of dominance, resilience and focus befitting of a side pushing for Champions League football next season.
There is a welcome pressure that is building for Villa to hold onto a top-three position at the very least, and if they are to show further title-winning credentials, then breaking down opponents’ stubborn low-block defences is the hallmark of any elite side.
Some of the best teams in the Premier League have struggled to break down such low blocks in recent games.
Leeds United frustrated Liverpool to clinch a 0-0 draw at Anfield on Thursday and Sunderland did the same to visitors Manchester City in another stalemate a couple of hours later, while it needed a last-minute own-goal for Arsenal to snatch a 2-1 home win against bottom side Wolves three weeks ago.
That was the task that Villa faced in Saturday’s first half in particular.
Forest sat back in a compact defensive unit, trying to condense the space and frustrate Emery’s side. Aside from an early Ollie Watkins chance that was sharply saved, their frustration was building as the half wore on.
Ollie Watkins’ goal just before half-time was a key moment in the match (Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
But Villa did not panic. They sustained attacks excellently and kept the pressure on, suffocating Forest whenever they had the temerity to begin their own passing sequences. As evidence of this, Villa regained possession in the attacking third on eight occasions across the game — they have not had more in any Premier League match this season.
That dominance in possession is highlighted by the field tilt — denoting the share of touches within each team’s attacking third — for the match. Villa’s share of 86 per cent was not just their highest of the season, but their best since they returned to the Premier League in 2019.
Such persistent ball circulation is highlighted in the game’s pass network below, where Villa often looked towards their right flank as a way of progressing the ball. With right-back Matty Cash available again after suspension, 42 per cent of their attacking touches came down the right third of the pitch — their second-highest share in the Premier League this season.
Villa squeezed the pitch and consistently recycled possession through Ezri Konza, John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans in particular.
Each member of their midfield was excellent, and while McGinn’s two goals might get the headlines today, Tielemans’ ability to dictate the play is underpinned by his 107 passes — three times the tally of Forest’s highest-ranking player in the game (Elliott Anderson with 32).
32 – Youri Tielemans made 32 line-breaking passes against Nottingham Forest; the most by any player in a Premier League match in 2025-26. Class. pic.twitter.com/jN5nuh3w5m
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 3, 2026
Earlier this week, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said that “individual special moments” are often the key to unlocking a low block, and Watkins’ thundered strike from outside the penalty area was exactly that on the stroke of half-time.
After receiving the pass from Morgan Rogers, there were two quick touches to get the ball out of his feet before powering a finish high beyond goalkeeper John Victor. That single effort opened up the game in the second half, with Forest forced to press higher and afford Villa more space in attacking areas.
That also made it four goals in three games, and six in eight since the start of December, for Watkins. In his 250th appearance for the club, the England striker looks to have regained his confidence and goalscoring form after a difficult period in the preceding months.
Add in McGinn’s clinching goal from distance in the second half, and it brings Villa’s tally to 13 goals from outside the area this season, which is the most of any side in Europe’s top five domestic leagues.
That trend of goals from distance is unlikely to continue every week, just like their comeback victories appeared unsustainable. No side has gathered more points from a losing position this season than Villa’s 18, but Emery will get greater encouragement from a routine win that gave the opposition little chance to snatch the points.
(Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
“After the defeat we had against Arsenal (4-1 in north London on Tuesday), how we reacted today was very important,” Emery said in his post-match press conference.
“We were speaking about our game plan — our energy, our focus, our respect for them (Forest) and keeping the consistency that we have usually shown. We needed to recover and feel comfortable and confident in how we were (previously). Today, we got it.”
Villa have now won their past eight Premier League home games, making it their second-longest such run in domestic competition. The longest streak they have had was also under Emery, spanning 15 matches between March and December 2023.
All teams need a mix of “graft and craft” to compete at the highest level.
Sometimes you need more of one than the other to break down a stubborn low block, but Emery’s Villa provided the perfect balance of both to show they are not going to let up in 2026.