Top News

Oliver Glasner has called on himself to stay grounded after extending his extraordinary unbeaten run against Unai Emery during Nottingham Forest's historic 2-1 win over Aston Villa. The Austrian coach watched his team claim their first league victory of the season on a day when Forest won at Villa Park for the first time in 30 years.

Maintaining a dominant tactical record

Saturday afternoon's result further improved Glasner's outstanding personal record against the former Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain manager. Across his spells with Crystal Palace and now Nottingham Forest, the Austrian boss has come up against Emery eight times and remains unbeaten, collecting six wins and two draws.

Speaking about their exchange before kick-off and his own milestone, Glasner said he fully recognises the gulf between their respective trophy hauls. "I spoke to him (Emery) before the game and told him that it was still 5-2 to him, in terms of European trophies won. I said to myself 'Oliver Glasner, stay humble'," the Forest head coach told reporters in his post-match press conference. "I will stay that way. Every win is great, but I did not play one second today. The players deserve all the credit, because they did so well. Our fans deserve the credit, because they supported us. Now we will go home and have a lovely Saturday evening."

Overcoming a defensive injury crisis

The victory was even more notable because of the major problems Forest had to deal with in the final hours of their preparations. Glasner had to make a late tactical adjustment after both Nikola Milenkovic and Jair Cunha suffered hamstring injuries following Friday's final training session.

Glasner described the chaotic build-up to the match and the late-night calls needed to put out a competitive side. "We are pleased with the win, but much more pleased with the performance and most pleased with the resilience showed today," he said. "It was 9.30pm when we got the result of scans that told us that Jair Cunha and Nikola could not play. I knocked at Ola and Ousmane's door and told them they would be playing. I spoke with Ola a little bit about playing in the back three. I told him I think he can."

Resilience and bravery at the back

The spirit within the squad was also shown by Brazilian defender Murillo, who pushed through physical discomfort to make himself available for the contest at Villa Park. With Forest's defensive resources stretched to the limit, the centre-back's determination to play through pain proved vital as goals from Liam Delap and Igor Jesus secured a memorable 2-1 win - making it six victories for Glasner over Emery - on an afternoon when Villa ended with 10 men after Ian Maatsen suffered an injury.

Speaking about the commitment shown by his key defenders, Glasner praised his Brazilian star's determination. "I can tell you now that Murillo had some pain in his knees before the game, in training. But he said 'no, Gaffer, I will play'," Glasner added, highlighting the grit inside his dressing room.

Looking ahead to the fixture list

Although celebrations will continue in Nottingham over the weekend, Glasner is already keeping an eye on the fitness of his important players before their next match. The Reds are due to play Coventry City on September 19, but they are likely to be without Milenkovic, who is expected to spend a short spell out injured.

Giving an update on the injured pair, Glasner struck a cautious tone over when they might return. "Nikola was a bit more serious and will miss the Coventry game. We are hopeful that he will be back after the international break. We hope Jair could be back for the Coventry game. But we have to be cautious. Let's see," Glasner concluded.