Zion Suzuki has admitted Aston Villa’s 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Villa Park was a particularly difficult result to accept after Unai Emery’s side surrendered a promising position in the match.
Villa looked capable of claiming a much-needed Premier League victory after Alysson scored his first goal for the club with 16 minutes remaining.
The Brazilian headed home a cross from John McGinn to cancel out Liam Delap’s long-range opener and restore parity in front of the home supporters.
However, Forest struck again late on, with Igor Jesus finding the winning goal in the 88th minute to leave Villa empty-handed.
For Suzuki, the defeat was made even more frustrating by the way Villa’s performance changed after half-time.
“It was tough, tough to take,” the goalkeeper said.
Suzuki felt Villa had been the better side during the opening 45 minutes and believed the team had created enough opportunities to take control of the contest.
“The first half we played decent, we made many chances,” he said.
“And I think, overall, we dominated the game.
“But in the second half, completely different. They got momentum and we conceded two goals.
“It’s a disappointing result.”
Villa forced to finish with 10 men
The circumstances surrounding Forest’s late winner made the defeat even harder for Villa to accept.
The hosts had already lost Pau Torres to injury before half-time, with Tyrone Mings coming on in his place.
Villa then used all five substitutions before Ian Maatsen was forced off after suffering an ankle injury following a heavy challenge in the 83rd minute.
With no substitutions remaining, Villa had to finish the match with only 10 players.
Forest subsequently exploited the numerical advantage, with Igor Jesus eventually scoring the decisive goal down Villa’s left-hand side.
Suzuki acknowledged that the injuries had made an already difficult situation even more challenging.
“It was a difficult moment because in the first half we lost Pau, but Tyrone came in and he played very well,” he explained.
“Then after that in the second half we were 10 men, that made the game difficult.
“We had to survive through but we didn’t.
“It’s difficult to take.”
Suzuki calls for Premier League response
Villa had entered the match with confidence boosted by their 3-2 Champions League victory over Club Brugge, their first win of the season.
But despite that European success, Emery’s side remain without a Premier League victory after the opening four matches.
The defeat to Forest leaves Villa needing a response in the league, and Suzuki believes the squad must learn from the disappointment rather than allow it to affect their next performance at Villa Park.
The Japan international revealed that Emery had emphasised the importance of Villa Park before the match and made clear that the team should be determined to deliver positive results in front of their supporters.
“Before the game, the manager said Villa Park is special,” Suzuki said.
“We shouldn’t lose here. We lost today but hopefully we learn from it and the next time we play here, I want the supporters to be happy.
“First, we need to get the win in the Premier League. We have to learn from it and prepare for the next game.”
The Aston Villa News BR verdict
Suzuki’s comments underline the frustration inside the Villa camp.
The defeat was not simply about the late goal. Villa lost Pau Torres, then Maatsen, and ultimately had to play the closing stages with 10 men. Nevertheless, Suzuki also recognised that the team’s second-half performance was significantly below the level shown before the interval.
The immediate priority is now clear: Aston Villa need their first Premier League win of the season.
The Carabao Cup provides an opportunity to rebuild confidence, but the bigger challenge will be translating that response back into league form.
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