Aston Villa captain John McGinn has called on his teammates to 'become legends' after they thrashed Nottingham Forest 4-0 to reach the Europa League final. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Villa produced a dominant performance at Villa Park.
Dominant Display Seals Final Spot
Ollie Watkins equalised on aggregate just before half-time, and Emi Buendia converted a penalty early in the second half to put Villa ahead. McGinn then netted two superb late goals to seal an emphatic victory and book Villa's place in the Istanbul final.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, McGinn admitted he felt the pressure before the game. 'I'm normally quite calm before games but today the pressure was intense,' he said. 'As a group of players we deserve to go one step further. We have had a few semi-final disappointments and we can kid on that it doesn't affect us, but today I was nervous.'
One of the Best Performances
The Scotland international described the display as one of the best he has seen from a Villa team in a long time. 'Tonight was one of the best performances I've seen from a Villa team in a long, long time. We were fortunate with the injuries Nottingham Forest had but we had to capitalise and we did.'
McGinn, 31, stressed the importance of seizing the opportunity. 'I said to the lads before that some will get the chance to play in a semi-final in Europe again, but at 31 I might not get another chance. The celebrations were great at the end but there is one to go.'
Embrace the Moment
The Villa captain urged his teammates to embrace the occasion and strive for legendary status. 'I felt the expectation this morning but it is about embracing it now, about trying to become legends. You see the lads from 1982, the cup winners from the 1990s, it is an historic club that has come through some massive lows of relegation and building back. This club deserves success and we want to be the group that does it.'
Unai Emery's side will now face their opponents in the final in Istanbul, aiming to add another European trophy to Villa's history.
