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Here’s Ben Fisher’s report from Villa Park.
Correction: Emery will be in his sixth Europa League final. Who could forget Baku and Arsenal getting gubbed by Chelsea in 2019?
Ollie Watkins, scorer of that crucial first goal, spoke to TNT: ““In the first leg, we were very passive. They deserved the win, but it was always going to be more difficult at Villa Park. After the performance against Tottenham, everyone’s mind was on this game.”
“There’s no better manager than this to get us prepared for this game and take us into the final. His track record speaks for itself.”
Peter Kurtz gets in touch: “Loved the “McGinn again, begin again” line on the second goal – is that Finnegans Wake? Could have sworn McGinn looked familiar, must have seen something in the papers about him and a cad with a pipe in the Phoenix Park. I kid! It’s been said again and again but how can you not love the man. Could be a guy at the pub but he’s such a phenomenal and steady pro. I hope his career brings us back by a commodious vicus of recirculation past Howth Castle and Environs for years to come.”
Justin Kavanagh gets in touch: “You’re right John, there are few players who are so crucial to their team in European football like John McGinn. Another one like that, alas, is Morgan Gibbs-White.”
Prince William is singing Sweet Caroline, even doing the “so good, so good” bit.
Unai Emery, the Europa League king, has done it again. He can win the trophy for the fifth time.
ShareFull-time: Aston Villa 4-0 Nottingham Forest (4-1 agg)
Off to Istanbul go Aston Villa. They saved their best for the second leg and Forest had no answer. Villa are in a first European final since 1982, and will face Freiburg.
90+3 min: Time ticks down on a glorious night for Villa.
90+1 min: Villa fans sing of Istanbul to the tune of Kumbaya, My Lord.
90 min: Emery runs down the clock by bringing off McGinn, Torres and Rogers, for Mings, Leon Bailey and Douglas Luiz. Four minutes added on. McGinn is hugged by the entire Villa bench; he’s taken them to their objective.
88 min: Breaking: Crystal Palace have reached the Conference League final. Looks like they will be playing Rayo Vallecano; like the Champions League, two clubs from capital cities.
Crystal Palace are through to their first ever european final! Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.59 EDT
87 min: Forest are readying Murillo, who was short of fitness, and seems a risk. Pereira has made some odd choices this evening. None of them have paid off. Jimmy Sinclair is coming on too for Forest.
86 min: Villa change: Buendia departs, and on comes Sancho.
85 min: Matty Cash and McGinn keep up the dirty work. Jadon Sancho’s arrival has been delayed by the fourth official not approving of the holes in his socks.
84 min: Fair to say Morgan Gibbs-White won’t be playing. Such sore luck for Forest that he’s not been able to play a part.
82 min: Colin Livingstone gets in touch: “Such an infuriating team Villa – looked last week like they had collectively never seen a football before. Then a force of nature. Been like that all year as well.”
They could land Brentford – or Bournemouth, or Brighton – a Champions League place by finishing sixth.
81 min: That was Rogers who laid up McGinn, and the captain made no mistake. Two brilliant finishes from a brilliant player for Villa. There’s few players who are so crucial to their team in European football.
ShareGoal! Aston Villa 4-0 Nottingham Forest (McGinn, 80)
McGinn again, begin again! What a finish. Villa are heading through.
John McGinn scores again and ASton Villa are in dreamland! Photograph: Dan Mullan/UEFA/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.48 EDT
79 min: Forest have been soundly beaten, and beat themselves with that defending for McGinn’s goal.
ShareGoal! Aston Villa 3-0 Nottingham Forest (McGinn, 77)
Long ball to Watkins, who is unchallenged and lays up McGinn whose finish is wonderful and has all but guided Villa to Istanbul. They lead 3-1 on aggregate.
John McGinn scores and Villa on the way to Istanbul! Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.44 EDT
75 min: Freiburg are 3-1 up on Braga, but only 4-3 on aggregate. Can Villa be the team to face them? It takes a Bakwa tackle to stop them getting through.
74 min: Villa change: Lindelof off, Bogarde on. The Swede did his job well. He’s always been a decent footballer if not the most trustworthy defender.
73 min: Martinez climbs high to claim a corner. Forest at least winning more territory.
72 min: Buendia fires wide. Villa chances stacking up; Forest are three at the back, and going direct. Neco Williams is one of the trio.
70 min: Anderson zings in a ball that evades all but is dangerous. Forest changes: Wood, Morato off, Lucca on and Bakwa on, which means a rejig placing Hutchinson at full-back.
69 min: Villa are still in control now. They can’t be too over-confident or fall to a sucker punch….but here’s Wood, saved by Martinez….it was offside in any case but there’s a warning Forest have the capability to come back.
Emi Martinez makes a smart save from Chris Wood. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.42 EDT
67 min: Gibbs-White, who looks really bashed up, is sat at the back of the Forest bench. They’re bringing on other players before him.
66 min: Rogers has a dig, Ortega does well but Villa seem far more likely to score the next goal. Forest’s forwards have been negligible, at best.
65 min: Kari Tulinius is bang on here: “Nikola Milenkovic is a veteran defender, who distinguished himself in Serie A and has many, many caps for Serbia. I guess this just goes to show that experience never eliminates the propensity for being a bonehead. Silly boy.”
64 min: Villa have had 13 attempts to Forest’s two. They’ve been so dominant. They have been roared to victory. What a noise. When Villa Park rocks, there’s nowhere louder. The same is true of Edgbaston cricket ground. Must be something about Brum.
Updated at 16.27 EDT
62 min: Morgan Gibbs-White is getting his boots on. He’s ready to risk face and limb for the cause. His team have missed him.
60 min: Watkins has the ball in the net, lovely flick from Rogers but the striker was coming back from an offside position.
59 min: Prince William is giving it limbs. What a night it’s been so far for His Highness and his team. All going to plan. The noise is incredible.