Moment of madness and VAR intervention gives Nottingham Forest the edge over Aston Villa

For once, there was no doubt about a penalty for handball in European competition - and there was certainly no doubt about the kick itself. With the most thunderous of conversions, Chris Wood gave Nottingham Forest the edge over Aston Villa in a tie that Unai Emery ’s side controlled for long periods. Yes, VAR needed to get involved for the decisive penalty to be awarded, but it was the right decision and it means Forest’s fine spell under Vitor Pereira in domestic and European competition continues. While Forest’s run of form over the preceding few weeks compared slightly favourably with Villa’s, there is a reason 19 points separates the two teams in the Premier League . There is a widespread misconception that this is a Villa team punching a bit above its weight. That is probably how Emery likes it. But the truth is that fifth place in the Premier League and the last four of Europe’s secondary club competition is where a squad of this quality and depth should be. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page But familiarity can narrow any class divides and a typical Premier League contest was expected. Unfortunately, that is what we got. Lots of passing, relatively high-paced, plenty of mistakes and the odd rogue set of studs, Elliot Anderson fortunate to go unpunished for one nasty slide-through on Ollie Watkins. But quality and ingenuity were at a minimum. A clever chip from Anderson was at the heart of a decent move that ended with Emi Martinez needing two attempts to keep out an Igor Jesus volley, but for vaguely memorable moments of first half Forest threat, that was about it. Villa were not much more creative, Stefan Ortega tasked only with a couple of routine saves. It was suitably frenetic but the fact that the Anderson tackle on Watkins was the only half-time topic worthy of genuine debate told you all you need to know. Referee Joao Pinheiro, who had been oblivious to the danger of the Anderson challenge, could not even be bothered to add a second of added time. It was, of course, only the opening quarter of the tie and understandable that there was a certain caginess to go with the commitment. But if there was one player on the park who looked like he might bring some composure and quality to the occasion it was, indeed, Anderson. He might have been just a shade fortunate to escape VAR-prompted censure but he was the game’s dominant midfielder. Forest could stay in the Premier League and get into the Champions League and Anderson will still be off. And he will, of course, play a role in England’s World Cup campaign. Whether he will be joined by Watkins remains to be seen but the Villa striker’s movement looks as good as it has been for some time. And considering his recent record, he would have expected to find a way past Ortega when presented with a good chance on the hour mark. In keeping with the previous action, he struck his effort straight at the Forest keeper. But if a low-quality European tie needs a breakthrough, you can always rely on a handball shout. And sure enough, Digne raised his hands to Omari Hutchinson’s hooked cross, VAR got involved and Wood hammered home the penalty. It was an emphatic conversion and Hutchinson deserved credit for keeping the ball in play, but it was still a hammer blow for Villa. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.