Oliver Glasner's Impressive Record Against Unai Emery

Oliver Glasner walked out of Villa Park on Saturday with another win and another notch on a quietly astonishing personal record.

Eight games against Unai Emery. Six wins. Two draws. No defeats.

For a coach still building his reputation in England, that is a staggering ledger against one of Europe’s most decorated managers.

“Oliver Glasner, stay humble”

Glasner, though, was in no mood to crow. He had already reminded Emery of the bigger picture before a ball had even been kicked.

“I spoke to him before the game and told him that it was still 5-2 to him, in terms of European trophies won. I said to myself ‘Oliver Glasner, stay humble’,” the Nottingham Forest head coach said afterwards.

“I will stay that way. Every win is great, but I did not play one second today. The players deserve all the credit, because they did so well. Our fans deserve the credit, because they supported us. Now we will go home and have a lovely Saturday evening.”

He had earned it. Forest had earned it.

A 2-1 victory at Villa Park, sealed by goals from Liam Delap and Igor Jesus, pushed Glasner’s tally over Emery to six wins. It came on a day when Aston Villa finished with ten men after Ian Maatsen went off injured, but this was no smash-and-grab. It was a performance built on resilience, late-night improvisation and players pushing themselves to the limit.

Chaos at 9.30pm

The scale of Forest’s achievement only really becomes clear when you rewind to Friday night.

By 9.30pm, on the eve of the game, Glasner’s plans were in pieces.

“We are pleased with the win, but much more pleased with the performance and most pleased with the resilience showed today,” he said. “It was 9.30pm when we got the result of scans that told us that Jair Cunha and Nikola could not play.”

Two defenders, Nikola Milenkovic and Jair Cunha, both ruled out with hamstring problems after the final training session. A back line already stretched suddenly looked threadbare.

So Glasner did what managers dread but sometimes have no choice but to do. He started knocking on doors.

“I knocked at Ola and Ousmane’s door and told them they would be playing. I spoke with Ola a little bit about playing in the back three. I told him I think he can.”

Tactical reshuffle. Personnel reshuffle. Mental reshuffle. All done deep into the night, hours before a lunchtime kick-off against one of the league’s most tactically drilled sides.

The response from his squad said everything about the culture he is building.

Murillo’s stand

If the late call-ups showed Forest’s adaptability, Murillo showed their steel.

The Brazilian defender could easily have stepped aside. He was in pain. His knees had been troubling him in training. With the schedule unrelenting and an entire season still to navigate, many players would have erred on the side of caution.

Murillo went the other way.

“I can tell you now that Murillo had some pain in his knees before the game, in training. But he said ‘no, Gaffer, I will play’,” Glasner revealed.

With Milenkovic and Jair Cunha out, that decision became pivotal. Forest’s defensive depth was stretched to the limit, and Murillo’s willingness to play through discomfort helped hold the line as Delap and Igor Jesus delivered at the other end.

By the final whistle, with Villa reduced to ten and Forest clinging on to a 2-1 lead, that choice to play through the pain barrier looked like the kind of moment dressing rooms remember.

Looking towards Coventry

The mood in Nottingham will be buoyant for days. A statement win away from home, another chapter in Glasner’s growing dominance over Emery, and a performance that showcased character as much as quality.

Glasner, though, is already peering ahead.

Forest face Coventry City on September 19, and the injury bulletin is far from ideal.

“Nikola was a bit more serious and will miss the Coventry game. We are hopeful that he will be back after the international break,” he said. “We hope Jair could be back for the Coventry game. But we have to be cautious. Let’s see.”

The message is clear: enjoy the moment, respect the grind.

Glasner may joke about staying humble next to Emery’s European haul, but with each passing week in England, the Austrian is writing a story of his own. The question now is how far this Forest side, forged in late-night decisions and pain-soaked performances, can push that story this season.