Jonty Banks

Sat 3 December 2022 12:30, UK

Aston Villa and Unai Emery have been afforded some much-needed rest bite following a tumultuous start to the Premier League season.

But while most of the club’s first-team are taking part in a warm-weather training camp with Emery in Spain, a crop of Villa’s international stars are hard at work in Qatar.

Emi Martinez, Matty Cash, and Leander Dendoncker have all featured for their nations so far in Qatar – and as the World Cup enters the knockout stages, Villa News looks back at how these stars have performed during the group stages.

Matty Cash

The Qatar World Cup could prove to be a coming-of-age moment for Cash.

The Villa right-back has been a prominent member of a Poland side that ran Argentina all the way in Group C and ended up qualifying in second place with four points.

After keeping a clean sheet against Mexico in his opening match of the World Cup, Cash came to life against Saudi Arabia for both good and bad reasons.

The 25-year-old was lucky to remain on the pitch after an early booking was followed up by another bookable foul, but he then proved his worth by playing a crucial part in Poland’s opening goal.

Offering width on the right wing, it was Cash’s beautiful pass to Robert Lewandowski which led to Piotr Zielinski’s opener.

In their final group stage match against pre-tournament favourites Argentina, the defender had his hands full when he saw both Lionel Messi and Angel di Maria attacking him from the off.

However, the Polish star stood his ground to remarkable effect, as Messi looks for openings in other areas of the pitch due to the Villa defenders resilience.

The experience of coming up against Messi will do Cash a world of good, and Emery will hope the right-back can take his learnings from this baptism of fire and instil them when returning to Premier League action.

It won’t get any easier for Cash in the last 16 as he will likely be tasked with marking the heir to Messi’s throne – Kylian Mbappe.

Good luck Cashy.

Emi Martinez

The Aston Villa shot-stopper experienced the worst-possible start to his first World Cup campaign after Argentina fell to a humiliating 2-0 defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia.

The Argentina number one faced just two shots on his goal all afternoon, and both found the back of the net in what was a frustrating outing for the 30-year-old Villan.

Although he could do little to stop Saleh Al-Shehri’s opener, Martinez expected better of himself for the second of the afternoon, which he managed to get a hand to, but failed to push wide of his net.

The goalkeeper admitted that he saw a psychologist after the opening defeat, and it seemed to do the trick, with the Villan consequently keeping two clean sheets for his country.

Against Mexico, he was assured throughout, doing well to not only save but catch Alexis Vega’s well-hit free kick on his way to his first clean sheet of the tournament.

His final group stage match against Poland was probably one of the quietest nights of his life, as Argentina dominated proceedings.

There will be sterner tests ahead for Martinez this World Cup, with his country set to face Australia in the last 16 before a potential outing against the Netherlands.

His leadership qualities which have been demonstrated on a weekly basis at Villa Park will be crucial in marshalling the sometimes leaky back-four in the coming matches, and if a penalty shootout should arise, Villa fans know that Martinez can prove himself a stubborn prospect from 12 yards.

Leander Dendoncker

Dendoncker had an ultimately frustrating World Cup experience with Belgium, who underwhelmed on the pitch and caused controversy off it.

The 27-year-old proved himself a vital cog in Belgium’s goalless draw against Canada – playing on the right side of The Red Devils’ back three alongside Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.

The Villa man’s handy knack as a utility player was shown to its full effect in this match, showing composure on the ball when receiving it in tight areas and facing an aggressive Canadian press.

The 6ft 2in colossus was a threat in both boxes during the game and seemed to stand by his task admirably as Belgium came under fire from Canada’s attack – who registered 21 shots on goal during the 90 minutes.

Despite this promising showing, it was somewhat disappointing to see Dendoncker dropped by Roberto Martinez during their 2-0 defeat to Morocco.

Villa’s £12 million summer signing was recalled for what would prove to be the golden generation’s final bow in Qatar, as he was fielded in his more favoured midfield position due to the suspension of Amadou Onana.

The ex-Wolves man was a little underwhelming during his second run-out at the World Cup, as although keeping it solid in the middle of the park, he struggled to assert himself on the game to any significant extent.

As many Aston Villa fans might possibly agree, Dendoncker could prove to be a good steady option for Emery in the coming months, but the jury is still out on whether he possesses the quality to be a starter on a regular basis.

Dendoncker will look back on this brutal World Cup campaign with a tinge of regret.

In other Aston Villa news, academy prospect Lamare Bogarde is maturing quicker than expected at Bodymoor Heath and could be due a first-team call up.