Pereira tries to spark Forest's fire as Europa showdown with Villa looms

LONDON — Vitor Pereira has urged Nottingham Forest to set up a "fantastic" end to a roller-coaster season when it faces Aston Villa on Thursday, within touching distance of the Europa League final.

Pereira's side will defend a 1-0 lead from the semifinal first leg, as it looks to reach a European final for the first time in 46 years.

Not since the halcyon days of Brian Clough, who masterminded the club's European Cup triumphs in 1979 and 1980, has Forest played for a major continental trophy.

In its first European semifinal since 1983-84, Forest has a slender advantage thanks to Chris Wood's penalty at the City Ground last week.

If Pereira's men can finish the job at Villa Park, they would face Portuguese side Braga or German club Freiburg in the final in Istanbul on May 20.

Forest will go into the second leg on a high after a 3-1 win at Chelsea on Sunday moved it six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

Pereira made eight changes against Chelsea, but the understudies secured a third successive league win as Forest's unbeaten run in all competitions stretched to 10 matches.

With his stars rested, Pereira believes that Forest can enjoy a golden end to the season.

"I said to them: 'you are a special group, because you work with four different managers, different ways to think (about the game), different methodologies'," said Pereira, who took charge in February.

"'You faced a difficult season. Now you are in a moment where we decide everything. We can finish the season in a fantastic way.'"

'An inspiration for us'

Winning the Europa League and ensuring Premier League survival would undoubtedly make Pereira part of Forest folklore.

He insisted, however, that it would not put him on a par with Clough, who also led Forest to the English title and is immortalized with a statue in Nottingham city center.

"If we want to put our name in the history of this club, we need to get to the final, to win the final," he said.

"I don't want a statue, but we can imagine what he was in this city. For the new generations, for sure, it's an inspiration for us."

Forest is playing in Europe for the first time since 1995-96, as it chases a first major trophy since the 1990 English League Cup and a spot in its first major final since losing to Manchester United in that same competition two years later.

After the sackings of Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche, Pereira has revitalized a club starved of success over the past three decades.

In contrast to Forest's vibrant form, Aston Villa slipped to a third successive defeat in all competitions after Unai Emery made seven changes for Saturday's 2-1 loss at home to lowly Tottenham.

Revealing he had been forced to remind his players of the principles of his reign, a visibly agitated Emery said: "I am here for more than three years, and how we have done everything, I don't forget it.

"We spoke in the dressing room after the first half about it. We can perform better or worse, but I am not losing my mind and my point of view about how I want (us to play)."

Emery has a well-earned reputation as a Europa League specialist after winning the competition three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal, as well as finishing as a runner-up with Arsenal.

But Villa has been a semifinal flop under Emery, losing in the last four against Olympiacos in the 2023-24 UEFA Conference League and to Crystal Palace in last season's FA Cup.

Villa has not won a major trophy since the 1996 League Cup, while its last major continental final was its 1982 European Cup triumph over Bayern Munich.