Omari Hutchinson says Nottingham Forest’s run to the Europa League semi-finals has given the club a major lift, but insists the focus must remain firmly on the task ahead.

Forest edged out Aston Villa 1-0 in the first leg at the City Ground on Thursday, with Chris Wood converting a late penalty to secure the advantage.

Hutchinson was one of the standout performers, completing 10 dribbles, creating four chances, and registering the joint-second-most shots in the match. In the process, he became the first player to record those numbers in the competition since Nico Williams for Athletic Club against AS Roma last season.

Speaking after the match, the 22-year-old admitted that reaching the final would be a huge moment for the club, but stressed that there is still work to do.

“Getting to the semi-final has been a massive boost for the club and for us players because it’s very hard to reach this stage,” he said.

“We’ve just won, so now we have to focus on next week.

“If we get to the final, it’s going to be amazing for the club and everyone involved.”

A draw in the return leg would be enough for Vítor Pereira’s side to progress, as Nottingham Forest continue their push towards what would be a third major European final, following their European Cup triumphs in 1978–79 and 1979–80.

History is also on their side, with Forest having been eliminated only once in their last 13 knockout ties after winning the first leg. Their sole reversal came in the 1983–84 UEFA Cup semi-final against R.S.C. Anderlecht.

Omari Hutchinson played a key role in the decisive moment of the first leg, delivering the cross that struck Lucas Digne’s arm and led to a VAR review, before Chris Wood converted the resulting penalty.

Reflecting on the incident, Hutchinson admitted he was unsure whether his touch from Morgan Gibbs-White’s delivery had stayed in play.

“I thought I got there just in time. I didn’t see it back, but everyone says get to the back post, so I just tried for that. I could have left it, but I got lucky,” he said.

He also spoke about the demands of balancing domestic and European football, while highlighting the squad’s strong momentum after going unbeaten in their last nine matches in all competitions.

“It’s about recovery. We’ve got to recover quickly and take care of our bodies,” he said.

“It’s the last four games now, so we’ve just got to dig deep and keep going. We want to win all our games. We’ve got a lot of confidence from winning recently, and next week we can go again.”

The former Chelsea winger, signed for a club-record £37.5 million, initially found it difficult to settle but has since become an important attacking presence for Forest.

Explaining his turnaround, he credited his mentality and resilience.

“I’ve just kept going, I haven’t felt sorry for myself,” Hutchinson said.

“In football, things can change quickly. I’m just grateful to keep progressing and to have God with me on my journey.”

Before the decisive second leg against Aston Villa in the Europa League, Forest travel to Stamford Bridge for Monday’s Premier League fixture. They have lost just two of their eight league away games against Chelsea and remain unbeaten in all three visits since returning to the top flight in 2022.