Dominguez ‘mesmerized’ by Aston Villa star after what he did v Nottingham Forest
Aston Villa secured a huge three points at home to Nottingham Forest, and one moment in particular showcased some serious quality.
Aston Villa’s search for Champions League qualification continued on Saturday evening, with Unai Emery’s side securing a crucial 2-1 victory against Nottingham Forest.
Morgan Rogers opened the scoring after 13 minutes, less than two minutes before Donyell Malen doubled their advantage from close range.
However, it was the build-up to the second goal that caught the attention of Andy Townsend, and seemingly also that of Nicolas Dominguez.
Ian Maatsen earns his plaudits for Aston Villa
While much of the attention will be on Morgan Rogers after another goalscoring performance, that of Ian Maatsen certainly didn’t go unnoticed, with the Dutchman playing a crucial role in the build-up to Aston Villa’s second goal.
Just seconds after Villa wanted a penalty, Maatsen received the ball wide left, before turning Dominguez inside out and delivering a pinpoint cross to the feet of Malen to dispatch, with Townsend in awe of what he saw.
| Premier League (3rd-7th) | Games played | Points |
| Nottingham Forest | 31 | 57 |
| Chelsea | 30 | 52 |
| Manchester City | 30 | 51 |
| Aston Villa | 31 | 51 |
| Newcastle | 29 | 50 |
Commentating via the world feed (5 April, 5:45pm), he said: “That is everything you want from a fullback. What Ian Maatsen has done there. Pushing forward, high and wide. And then, when he gets the ball, he mesmerizes Dominguez. He doesn’t know whether he’s going inside, outside.
“In the end, he goes on the outside and he fires it across the six-yard box. Donyell Malen does everything right, taking a gamble back across. Love that.”
Villa failed to make the most of the momentum following that goal, but did enough to make sure of the win despite Forest getting a goal back.
Aston Villa need to stay consistent
A win against Forest is certainly a big one, though it will prove to be even bigger if Aston Villa can build even further on it.
Champions League qualification remains their goal in the league, and if attacking displays like the one at Villa Park can be replicated going forward, they have every chance of achieving that.
Just one point keeps them outside of the top four as it stands, though Chelsea and Manchester City have a game in hand.