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“I’m really pleased with the players, I’ve got real gratitude to them for committing to the plan we put in place”- Steve Cooper heaps praise on Forest stars after stunning win against Villa

Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper expressed his gratitude to his players for following the game plan as they secured an important 2-0 victory over Aston Villa.

Ola Aina’s first goal for the club got the Reds off to the perfect start as they opened the scoring with five minutes on the clock at the City Ground. Orel Mangala then doubled the lead shortly after the break.

At the other end of the pitch, the goals we scored ensured Forest kept their third clean-sheet of the season. And it meant a six-match winless run came to an end on the banks of the Trent.

“The players massively followed the game plan. I said to them, I’ve got real gratitude to them for committing to the plan we put in place,” he said.

“We came up against a really in-form team with loads of good players and an excellent manager. You have to respect them, but you have to look at a plan where you can win.

“I’m really pleased that the goals we scored were from how we thought we could create chances. Once you get there, you want the players to back themselves to convert.

“Even though they had a lot of the ball, I never really thought we would concede. I never felt the goal was getting peppered. Defensively, we were excellent, both tactically and our defensive intuition backed up with desire and commitment.

“I’m really pleased with the players. They showed a great attitude to the plan. It was an incredible atmosphere to support the players’ performance. I thought today was a really good example of what we’ve become over the last couple of years, and I think that needs a bit of recognition.”

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