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Ollie Watkins running over to the Holte End screaming, fists pumping and head bandaged, will become an iconic image in this part of Birmingham but it was all thanks to the calmness of Emiliano Buendía’s quick feet and even quicker mind to create it. The Argentinian was the one able to keep his cool on a night of aggression and full-blooded football.

It was quintessentially English in this all-domestic Europa League semi-final, in a ground that has hosted Aston Villa since 1897, there was even royalty in the stands. The first quarter felt like a Premier League game on steroids, all thumping noise, tackles, aggression, set pieces, flags and the putrid smell of smoke. The eventual outcome would be down to which side could maintain composure in a fiery atmosphere, and Villa had the benefit of Buendía’s ice-cold mind.

There were mistimed challenges aplenty as each side looked up for the fight. Forest were far more eager to make it into a full-blown battle, as they missed a number of key players. Morato was booked for a late challenge on Morgan Rogers and Jair Cunha stepped on Buendía to earn a notation from the referee Glenn Nyberg. Tensions were even higher on the bench, causing the officials to have words with Unai Emery and flash a couple of cards to backroom staff. Everyone knew what was at stake and were refusing to give an inch.

At this stage of the competition, it was never likely that the side with the greater ferocity in the tackle would win. Aston Villa settled sooner and an integral element of that was Buendía, a classy No 10 unfazed by swimming in a cauldron. He knows if he plays his own game, then good things will follow. Forest may have hoped to intimidate him but he was always eager to take the ball to feet, even with Elliot Anderson and others snapping at his heels.

Buendía encouraged the vociferous Villa fans to make more noise by throwing his arms up in the air during the first half, knowing the part they could play. It worked as the decibels grew, but creating the opener was a more successful method of testing the 129-year-old foundations. Receiving the ball on the edge of the box, Buendía weighed up his options and took the most difficult route, dazzling through two defenders before calmly slipping a pass to give Watkins the easiest of finishes.

Forest were without a natural defensive midfielder from the start, opting for Anderson and Nicolás Domínguez, allowing Buendía more space to buzz around. He also had the freedom from his manager to drift from the left to get into areas where his sharp play can make a difference. Unai Emery’s side can often be seen as rigid but with Buendía and John McGinn able to roam, it allowed Villa to control the all-important midfield area.

The big moments are what Buendía thrives on, already scoring an injury-time winner to defeat Arsenal this season. It is impressive how he has turned his Villa career around; a year ago he was enduring an unsuccessful loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen and the prospect of returning to these parts looked improbable. Buendía, however, had already come back from a cruciate ligament injury – he is made of stronger stuff.

Twelve months on, he was creating chaos at Villa Park. Nikola Milenkovic was the next victim of distraction, holding on to Pau Torres’s shirt for too long in the box. It was a soft penalty, awarded after a VAR review, but showed the fine margins when overawed by an occasion and wanting to win almost too much. It plays tricks with the mind and Milenkovic, although annoyed, will know he should have released the claret and blue shirt earlier.

The cross to Torres that instigated the incident came from a first-time Buendía volley, another moment of class amid the cacophony. There was only one man to take the penalty as Buendía, calmness personified, fired into the corner, before releasing his pent-up joy. His endeavour had put Villa on the verge of history and had broken Forest’s spirit.

Even with Villa closing on a glorious trip to Istanbul to face Freiburg, the Argentinian took the time to carefully listen to advice from Emery on the touchline. It might have been Buendía’s night but he wanted to make sure no detail that could cost his team was missed.

By the time McGinn, another in control of his emotions and actions, scored a quickfire double, Forest were already floored. Another genius moment from Buendía instigated the fourth with a smart overhead kick to get things moving before the Scot swept into the corner in repetitive fashion.

As Buendía departed with five minutes to go, everyone – apart from a small corner of red – rose to their feet to celebrate the efforts of the 5ft 8in playmaker. He walked off shoulders high and proud, knowing what he had achieved, finally able to lose his head.