Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa share the spoils

DEBUT GOAL: Nottingham Forest's Emmanuel Dennis (centre) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at City Ground, Nottingham. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire

Nottingham Forest 1 Aston Villa 1 

As one struggling Premier League manager from the Midlands called Steve appeared to have secured his immediate future, another one might envy his level of support on the terraces at least.

Less than a week after Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper was handed a three-year contract, the jury remains out on his counterpart across the Midlands at Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard.

Cooper certainly won the public relations battle. The Welshman pulled off a PR coup before kick-off when he came on to the pitch to spend a few moments applauding the supporters who have backed him to weather a difficult start to the season.

After chanting his name constantly a week ago in the 4-0 defeat at Leicester City, this gesture raised the roof at the City Ground.

By contrast, Villa fans were quiet on the whole and they remain non-committal about Gerrard.

Villa are now four matches unbeaten but they lacked the flair or creativity to penetrate a Forest side who had lost five in a row.

That noise from the Forest support cranked up several fold when the home side took the lead in the 15th minute.

Morgan Gibbs-White swung in a teasing free kick from the right and the unmarked Emmanuel Dennis twisted his neck to glance past Emiliano Martínez from seven yards out.

Villa were level seven minutes later, albeit somewhat controversially.

Ashley Young rifled a tremendous half volley inside Dean Henderson’s near post from 25 yards for the first goal of his second spell at the club, his last one coming on May 7, 2011.

Young’s 40th goal for Villa meant he, at 37, became the club’s second oldest player to score a Premier League goal, remarkably after goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.

It also meant Forest have now conceded at least one goal from outside the box in their last seven Premier League games, extending the longest run in the competition’s history.

But the hosts protested that Jacob Ramsey had flattened Steve Cook as both challenged for a loose ball after Ollie Watkins knocked down Matty Cash’s deep cross.

Villa had the ball in the net again within two minutes, but Watkins was a yard offside as he converted Ramsey’s low centre.

Philippe Coutinho had another of those games where he was anonymous, his only vaguely memorable moment a wild shot which flew way off target at the start of the second half, before he was hauled off after the hour for Danny Ings.

The hardworking Watkins went closer with a downward header at the far post which had Henderson scrambling to hold at the second attempt.

Villa looked more incisive, but at the other end, Forest twice threatened a winner from distance.

Gibbs-White swerved a shot a couple of yards wide after pirouetting around Douglas Luiz before Cheikhou Kouyaté with a curling effort forced a camera save from Martínez from the edge of the box.

At the end, Forest fans again chanted Cooper’s name. Gerrard already departed down the tunnel.

Nottingham Forest (4-3-3): Henderson 7; Aurier 6 (N Williams 58 minutes, 6), S Cook 6, McKenna 7, Toffolo 6; Kouyaté 6, Yates © 6, Freuler 6; Johnson 6, Dennis 6 (Surridge 70 minutes, 6), Gibbs-White 7 (O’Brien 90 minutes, 6).

Substitutes: Worrall, Mangala, Awoniyi, Lingard, Hennessey, Boly.

Booked: Aurier, Cook.

Aston Villa (4-3-2-1): Martínez 6; Cash 6, Konsa 6, Mings 6, Young 7; J Ramsey 7 (Archer 81 minutes, 6), Douglas Luiz 6, McGinn © 5 (Dendoncker 77 minutes, 6); Coutinho 5 (D Ings 65 minutes, 6), Buendía 7; Watkins 7.

Substitutes: Sanson, Chambers, Nakamba, Bednarek, Olsen, Bogarde.

Booked: Konsa, McGinn, Ramsey.

Referee: Anthony Taylor 7/10.