EPL table: Man City drop into third place after Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest

TrendCast January 3, 2026

Aston Villa climbed into second place on the Premier League table with a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest in Saturday’s early kick-off.

Unai Emery’s men were looking to bounce back from a 4-1 loss at Arsenal in midweek.

And they began the game confidently, taking the lead before half time, with Ollie Watkins smashing in the opener.

Villa doubled their lead almost after the restart, with John McGinn finishing off Matty Cash’s low drive.

McGinn grabbed his double, pouncing on goalkeeper John Victor’s error, to seal victory for his team.

The result takes Villa up to 42 points, three behind leaders Arsenal and one ahead of City, who welcome Chelsea on Sunday.