Nuno Espirito Santo says Aston Villa found goals “too easy” to come by as Nottingham Forest lost 4-2 on Saturday.
Ollie Watkins tapped in from close range after being teed up by Leon Bailey in the fourth minute to give the hosts the perfect start to the game.
A Douglas Luiz brace put Villa three to the good, but Moussa Niakhaté got one back on the stroke of halftime to give the Reds faint hope of getting back into the tie.
Morgan Gibbs-White scored right after the interval, but that’s as close as Forest got to their Midlands rivals, as Bailey put the result beyond doubt on the hour mark.
“We started very bad, we conceded too easily. This is something we have to improve,” Nuno told BBC Match of the Day after the final whistle.
“The attack from both sides (of the pitch), it is our responsibility to solve the problem. We will analyse the game to rectify and improve.
“It is too easy for the opponent to score. We are always able to score, so we need to balance these two parts of the game.”
The Portuguese added: “The moment we scored for 3-2, there was a feeling we could go for it. But we conceded, and it was game over.”
The result leaves Forest 16th in the Premier League table, just four points above the relegation zone, while Villa remain fourth as they continue their charge towards qualification for next year’s Champions League.
