View: Aston Villa back to earth with a bang after Newcastle United display
Well, the good feeling surrounding Aston Villa lasted less than a week after the Villa were swept aside by high-flying Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
Villa were well and truly beaten by a rampant Newcastle side, who are seemingly heading in the completely opposite direction to Unai Emery’s men. There could well have been some hope that the Brentford game was a turning point, but those hopes were quickly diminished on Saturday (29 October).
The result in the North East is a stark reminder to Emery, that this job is not for the faint-hearted and the challenge which lies ahead of him, is probably unlike any he has yet faced in his career.
The performance against Eddie Howe’s men was so far below what we had witnessed against the Bees. Villa only managed three shots (Wyscout) compared to the 19 they amassed against Thomas Frank’s side.
Another telling statistic was the decrease in Villa’s success when it came to the number of duels they won against Newcastle. In the Brentford fixture, Villa won over 50 per cent of their duels, compared to 38 per cent on Saturday. If the players aren’t going to contest and put their bodies on the line, it’s always an uphill task to win a Premier League football match.
For once, the players don’t have anywhere to hide, this weekend’s result couldn’t land at the feet of Aaron Danks, it was on the players. There were a number who have been found out due to their lack of effort and work ethic.
As a team, Villa’s pressing wasn’t near the standards they set against Brentford, with four more passes allowed per defensive action. It was a day to forget for Villa, but it’s important to put what has happened in the past and get behind Emery and this group of players.
He certainly has the pedigree to turn things around, although it’s going to be one hell of a task to do so.
In other Aston Villa news, Kris Boyd slams the Aston Villa medical staff for not taking Emiliano Martinez off the pitch