Andy Hinchcliffe stunned by what ‘brilliant’ Aston Villa star did vs Nottingham Forest

Andy Hinchcliffe stunned by what ‘brilliant’ Aston Villa star did vs Nottingham Forest – ‘Perfection’

Aston Villa witnessed several key performances in securing a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest.

Villa had struggled in the first half against Forest as the lack of clear-cut chances continued to frustrate the Villa Park faithful.

That was until Watkins did what he did against Chelsea and found the net to hand the home side a lead going into the interval.

The England international’s strike made way for a much-improved second-half showing despite a 61st-minute strike from former Villa transfer target Morgan Gibbs-White.

Andy Hinchcliffe picked out John McGinn as his man of the match and was blown away by one moment from the Scot in B6.

John McGinn opener shows true class vs Nottingham ForestThe skipper was benched as Villa suffered a 4-1 defeat against Arsenal, but didn’t let that drag him down in the first outing of 2026.

A quiet first half showing from the 31-year-old may way for a typically all-action showing in the second 45 that featured a first-ever Premier League brace.

The Scotland international clocked up an 80 per cent pass accuracy as he helped to keep Villa ticking over while also maintaining a 100 per cent conversion rate.

The first of his two shots on target came as he side-footed home a Matty Cash cross, leaving John Victor grasping at thin air.

It was that strike that left Hinchliffe wowed on Sky Sports Football as he was left gushing over the positional play and finish from the midfielder.

He said: “It’s a decent cross and John McGinn just times his move forward to perfection. He starts at the edge of the box and just leaves that space in front of him for the ball to be played into, then he steps onto it. It’s a brilliant finish.“

McGinn did something he hasn’t done for Aston Villa since 2019

McGinn has played over 310 games for Aston Villa and has scored 33 goals, but only four of those strikes have come as part of a brace.

The skipper scored a brace over Forest to secure the win on 3 January, marking 2488 days or six years, nine months and 21 days since his last.

That ironically came against Nottingham Forest as McGinn bagged two at the City Ground in a 3-1 away win under Dean Smith in 2019.

Over 214 million seconds have passed since that day, and it was clear to see that the Scot loved bagging two in one game with his trademark celebration.