Prince William was on his feet, cheering wildly as Unai Emery once again proved why he is the undisputed king of the Europa League. Aston Villa's current squad had been haunted by the fear of being remembered as the nearly men, but now they stand on the brink of becoming legends—just one win away from securing the club's first trophy in 30 years.
It has been over 10,000 days since Villa last lifted silverware back in 1996. That long wait had weighed heavily, especially after two painful semi-final defeats under Emery in the Conference League and FA Cup. But on this night, with the future monarch in attendance, Villa finally broke their semi-final curse.
Emery's men swept Nottingham Forest aside with a commanding performance, booking their place in the final against Freiburg later this month. The atmosphere was electric, and the second-half goals sent Prince William—a devoted Villa fan—into a frenzy of celebration.
Emery has now won the Europa League four times before, and a fifth title in Istanbul would etch his name permanently into Villa folklore. From the opening whistle, there was never any doubt. Villa were rampant, sharp, and hungry.
Forest, meanwhile, will look back fondly on their first European adventure in three decades. They're still fighting for Premier League survival under Vítor Pereira, and this defeat snapped an impressive 11-match unbeaten run. But they were outclassed here, managing just two shots on target all evening, with Morgan Gibbs-White not risked from the bench due to a head injury.
The star of the show? Inspirational captain John McGinn. He had spoken openly about those painful semi-final losses, but on this night he put the gloss on a superb team display with two stunning goals—both almost identical in their brilliance.
If Villa can defeat their Bundesliga opponents on May 20, McGinn will be the one lifting the trophy. Emery, meanwhile, has reached his sixth major European final—all in the UEFA Europa League from 2014 to 2026. Only the legendary Giovanni Trapattoni has managed more. For Villa, this is more than a final. It's a chance to turn nearly men into legends.