NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Aston Villa is proving hard to beat but even harder to watch.
Prioritizing solidity after a miserable start to the English Premier League, Villa held Nottingham Forest to 1-1 on Monday in a low-quality match that will do little to ease the pressure on manager Steven Gerrard.
Villa is on a four-match unbeaten run but Gerrard won't be happy with his team's attacking play. The visitors had just two shots on target against an opponent that started the game in last place.
Last weekend, Villa drew 0-0 at 10-man Leeds and eked out a 1-0 win over Southampton before that.
Forest climbed off the bottom, above Leicester, but will regret conceding just seven minutes after taking the lead through Emmanuel Dennis' header from Morgan Gibbs-White's free kick in the 15th.
A sweetly struck shot from 25 meters by Villa left back Ashley Young earned them a point.
Forest dropped into last place on goal difference by losing at Leicester 4-0 last Monday but moved back above its Midlands rival, which was beaten at Bournemouth on Saturday.
Forest manager Steve Cooper appears safe in his position after being handed a contract extension last week and might be going back to basics.
“The reality is we have been conceding way too many goals and chances and I have not really liked us out of possession with our positioning and duels and picking up second balls and going with runners," Cooper said. "For all the tactical stuff, I loved the fight in the team and I think we did that better tonight.
“Is it my favorite way of playing? No. But it was right for tonight."
Villa is in fifth-to-last place with two wins from its nine games.
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