Birmingham World reporter Charlie Haffenden's post-match thoughts as Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest 4-2 in the Premier League.
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00:00 Aston Villa have boosted their Champions League hopes massively today with a 4-2 win over
00:05 Nottingham Forest here at Villa Park.
00:07 Moving five points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur who still have a game to play and eight points
00:12 clear of Manchester United who have just been defeated 2-1 by Fulham at Old Trafford.
00:16 A huge goal there in the 97th minute for Fulham scored by Alex Iwobi means that Villa do move
00:22 by eight points clear of sixth place Man Utd which is the crucial one if five places do
00:26 end up getting Champions League football.
00:29 We get out Villa Park though a six goal thriller, 3-0 it should have been going into half time.
00:34 Teiwo Owaniyi's goal on the verge of the break put a bit of pressure on Villa and also Morgan
00:41 Gibbs-White just after the break scoring to make it 3-2.
00:44 You're thinking oh dear could Villa be throwing this one away but Leon Bailey made it 4-2 a
00:48 little later in the second half to settle the nerves a little bit and Unai Emery's team
00:53 from that point on the confidence to go on for a huge three points in the Champions League
00:57 battle.
00:58 They started off brilliantly, Ollie Watkins in the fourth minute scoring from a Leon Bailey
01:02 cross.
01:03 The credit has to go for Bailey really, some great skill and nutmeg as well before playing
01:07 it across to Watkins to score and make it 1-0 in just the fourth minute.
01:11 Then Douglas Luiz with a double in the first half, his eighth and ninth goals of the season,
01:16 his seventh and eighth here at home in the Premier League this campaign.
01:21 The first one was a really good finish, first time after a Jacob Ramsey cut back into the
01:25 top corner and then the second one was a lovely header cushioned into the top right-hand corner
01:30 after a cross into the area by John McGinn, that was a really good ball in.
01:35 And then the last goal as I mentioned for Leon Bailey, it was Uri Tielemans playing
01:39 in, Ollie Watkins in behind, his shot ricocheted off Forrest's goalkeeper Matt Sells and into
01:44 the path of Bailey for an easy tap in to make it 4-2.
01:48 Just catching my breath really after that one, what a game here at Villa Park.
01:51 You were thinking as I said at the start of the second half could Forrest be getting back
01:55 into this one for a famous comeback but no, it was Villa who scored again and it's a great
01:59 4-2 win.
02:00 Villa now just need to carry on the momentum and stay ahead of United and Tottenham.
02:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]