Aston Villa beat Maccabi Tel Aviv amid protests and arrests, Dyche frustrated in Forest draw

New Delhi: Aston Villa defeated Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-0 in a Europa League match on Thursday. The game was played under tight security measures, with more than 700 police officers deployed to Villa Park to deal with possible protests.

Ian Maatsen scored the opening goal of the match in first-half stoppage time. The hosts doubled the lead in the 59th minute with Donyell Malen netting from the penalty spot. It was Villa’s third win from four games in the competition.

The game at Villa Park grabbed headlines and became a centre of political debate after Maccabi fans were banned from attending the game as West Midlands Police deemed the match to be high risk, referencing violence and hate crimes that took place when the Israeli club played against Ajax in Amsterdam last season.

The ban attracted massive criticism, including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said that the decision is not right. The police had expressed big concern over potential clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups, and six people were arrested ahead of the game, which included a 21-year-old man who was arrested for not removing a face mask, while a 17-year-old boy was arrested for not following a dispersal order.

Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche was "frustrated" with the missed chances in their goalless Europa League draw against Sturm Graz.

The Premier League club missed a golden opportunity to take the lead in the first half when Morgan Gibbs-White missed a penalty. He had the opportunity to put the Forest ahead, but his low shot from the spot was saved by goalkeeper Oliver Christensen.

Nicolás Domínguez hit the woodwork from outside the area in the final minute, and Forest had to settle for a draw in the Europa League after a 2-0 win over Porto two weeks ago. Dyche was frustrated that his side failed to grab the opportunities when they were on top, but praised their performance in a second away draw of the competition.

"I think particularly first half, dominant, not just with the ball, but dominating the chances created and the quality of chances. Other than the penalty, which is obviously a great chance, but the chances we had from set-pieces, some of those final moments where we just didn't capitalise," Dyche told TNT Sports.

Nottingham Forest will face Leeds United in the Premier League on Sunday, November 9, while Aston Villa will take on Bournemouth.