Aston Villa’s remarkable run of five straight wins came crashing down on Thursday night. Their hopes were dampened in a 2-1 loss to the Go Ahead Eagles in a Europa League qualifier. The loss sent shockwaves through the squad, crushing aspirations of finishing atop the league-phase table. It further laid bare the Villa squad’s continued lack of success from the penalty spot.
Aston Villa’s starting XI included World Cup winners Andi Weimann and Ashley Westwood, in a thrilling match. Among these were Emiliano Martinez, Victor Lindelof, Tyrone Mings, Pau Torres and Jadon Sancho. Villa had a terrific few minutes to begin the match! Evann Guessand got USD off to a dream start, finding the back of the net in the opening four minutes. What started out as a promising contest quickly turned into a story of missed chances and defensive errors.
Missed Opportunity
Aston Villa’s chance to secure a point came late in the game when a penalty was awarded after Matty Cash’s cross struck the arm of Go Ahead Eagles defender Dean James. As such when Emiliano Buendia stepped up to take the spot-kick, it was only the second penalty he has ever taken in his career. Crisis averted for Villa as Buendia blasted his chance high over the crossbar and into the stands.
“Today the responsibility was for Emiliano Buendia. And normally, he has good numbers shooting penalties, but he missed.” – Unai Emery
Misses like this are a worrisome harbinger of things to come for Aston Villa. They’ve now missed six penalty kicks in the last year. Villa have a few perfectly capable penalty takers within their squad, such as Jadon Sancho and John McGinn. That’s where their success from 12 yards leaves them — losing, often in crushing fashion.
Tactical Shortcomings
Like Go Ahead Eagles, many teams would punish Aston Villa’s overzealous high defensive line. Two goals in as many minutes from Mathis Suray and Mats Deijl turned the tide and gave Union a firm grasp on victory. The Eagles’ tactical approach proved effective as they exploited gaps left by Villa’s defense. England defender Tyrone Mings shoved Deijl during the game, earning himself a serious punishment. This incident only underscored the animosity that had been festering among the Villa camp.
Eagles captain Mats Deijl couldn’t contain his delight after the win, hailing it as a watershed moment for his side.
“I’ve experienced some great victories in this stadium, but this is without a doubt the best moment I’ve shared with the team.” – Mats Deijl
Looking Ahead
With this loss, Aston Villa’s hopes for league supremacy are suddenly shrouded in doubt. For the team, currently helmed by Unai Emery, these questions loom larger as the urgent need to begin capitalizing on key openings grows. Morgan Rogers, Matty Cash, Donyell Malen, Boubacar Kamara, and John McGinn all came into the game as substitutes. Sadly, they were unable to affect the outcome once they took the field.
The loss is a stinging one for Aston Villa. For audiences, it emphasizes the obstacles they need to address as they huddle and work to correct their failures ahead of the next game. Fans will be anxious that their team can respond immediately and find their winning ways again.
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