Nottingham Forest produced a remarkable late comeback against Aston Villa to move into the Premier League Champion League spots. Jhon Duran put the away side on course for a crucial away win with an instinctive header.
Yet it was Anthony Elanga who played the super sub role as he inspired Forest to an eye-catching win against Champions League opposition. Nikola Milenkovic headed in the home team's equaliser moments after Chris Wood had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside.
As both sides were chasing a crucial winner, Elanga slotted Elliot Anderson's cross for a dramatic winner. Villa remain in sixth whilst Forest sits with three more points than their opponents and only behind the title chasers in the table.
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Story of the match
Nottingham Forest were looking to build some momentum after their 3-2 triumph over Manchester United by making it back-to-back Premier League wins over the Villians.
Villa came into the fixture from an impressive 3-2 away win in Europe. Supersub Jhon Duran earned a rare start after his wonder strike against Rb Leipzig but struggled to find his flow early on.
Likewise, Forest sat back in their numbers but could not execute the usual fluent counter-attack tactic. With Unai Emery and Nuno Espirito Santo as two tacticians who contained the opposition, it was no surprise that the opening stages were cagey.
Wild efforts from Duran and Ryan Yates aside, neither side offered any quality going forward. A characteristic lung-bursting run into Villa's half from Murillo brought some life from the Nottingham Forest crowd.
Chris Wood couldn't get himself into the game but put a header across the goal that was begging to be tapped into an empty net. Forest started to show some authority as they maintained attacks in Villa's half. Murillo should have carried on his side's excellent record from set pieces as the Brazilian nestled a header just wide from a corner.
Morgan Rogers came more into the game as he had a decent shout for a penalty. Elliot Anderson took a huge risk gripping on the Villa man he drove into the box, but nothing was given. Villa started finding spaces behind Forest's midfield but was missing the final pass to create any clear-cut chances.
Matz Sels was finally tested as former Forest Academy product Matty Cash shot straight at the Belgian with a piledriver. That was the last meaningful action of a forgettable first 45 minutes.
Villa started the second half on the front foot as they won a couple of promising set pieces that they couldn't make count. Emery was clapping with encouragement but knew his side was heading to another disappointing result following a Champions League fixture.
The home side tried to venture forward on the counter but only troubled Emi Martinez with a long-ranged Neco Williams that went sailing wide. That was until Nicolas Dominguez had a header miraculously cleared off the line from the Villa goalkeeper. It was a confidence boost the Argentian needed after his midweek clanger.
Duran was feeding off scraps for large spells in the game, that was until he made Forest pay for missing their big chance. John McGinn did brilliantly, whipping in a superb first-time cross that Duran met with a header Sels had no chance of keeping out.
Forest responded with intent as Williams once again found his shooting boots as he tested Martinez. Duran was once again amongst the action as he needlessly made a tackle that luckily didn't catch Callum Hudson-Odi in the penalty box.
Villa started managing the game as Nuno tried to respond by throwing Jota Silva on for Yates, but it didn't have the initial effect on the game. The away side looked dangerous on the counter-attack as Matty Cash played a dangerous ball that was begging to be met.
Forest showed big character by chasing the equaliser and thought they had one as Wood met an Anthony Elanga cross. However, the Swedish winger was judged to be just offside by VAR from an excellent Morgan Gibbs-White pass.
The home team would not let refereeing decisions be their worst enemy again this season as they rallied to find a goal that would count. Nikola Milenkovic got on the end of a fantastic chipped ball by Morgan Gibbs-White as the Serbian central defender found the back of the net in consecutive games. Martinez will be disappointed as he parried the ball with himself into his own goal.
Both teams went for the winner as Sels tipped over a deflected cross from Ollie Watkins. Forest looked the more likely on the counter, which played its part in their winner.
Villa will feel aggrieved as they felt Cash was fouled by Anderson in the build-up to the goal as the latter found Elanga in the box, who dispatched his low effort past Martinez. Emery will be gutted by how the final stages unfolded and will feel it is a wasted opportunity to build a run of form into the Christmas period.
Nuno will be looking at the Premier League in disbelief as they find themselves in the Champions League spots. Forest needed a big home result, and they delivered against the team that finished fourth last season.
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Man of the match- Nikola Milenkovic
What a couple of weeks for the Serbian defender.
After opening the scoring against Manchester United early last week, he now scored late on to restore parity. It was a striker's poacher effort that Chris Wood would have dreamed of meeting at the far post.
Yet it was Milenkovic's overall game that impressed. Villa are a dangerous team on the counter-attack, and the Serb helped Forest's backline keep the visitors quiet in the attacking third.
Ollie Watkins barely got a kick when he was subbed on, which is a credit to the impact Milenkovic has had on his team since his summer transfer from Firontenia. Murillo has got a lot of understandable credit, but his partner deserves praise for how he settled in at Forest and looks like a difficult centre-back to overcome.
