Aston Villa suffered a 1-0 Europa League semi-final first leg defeat against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Thursday, a match that has drawn sharp criticism from former Aston Villa goalkeeper and European Cup winner Nigel Spink. Spink specifically highlighted a controversial incident involving Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson and Villa striker Ollie Watkins.

According to Spink, Anderson was a "lucky lad" to avoid a red card after a challenge on Watkins during the first half. Replays clearly showed Anderson clattering into Watkins' ankle, leaving the England international in agony on the turf, yet the incident went unpunished by the referee.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery echoed the sentiment, describing the VAR's non-intervention as "so, so bad." Spink, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast, elaborated on his frustration: "Technically, it at least should have been a yellow and then I thought he could have got another yellow for an incident not long after that as well. He's a lucky lad that he stayed on the pitch."

Despite the contentious defeat, Nigel Spink remains confident in Aston Villa's ability to deliver an improved performance in the upcoming second leg at Villa Park. He praised the club's overall season, stating, "Villa's season has been amazing. They have done fantastically to be in the Champions League spots and doing so well in the Europa League."

Spink believes the team can draw full confidence from their strong campaign. He also pointed to a crucial moment in the first leg, remarking, "Emi Martinez's save will go down as keeping Villa in the competition if they can perform a little bit better in attack next Thursday. It wasn't quite as sharp as they can be." The focus now shifts to Villa Park for the decisive return leg.