Aston Villa: Troy Deeney wowed by ‘fantastic’ Robin Olsen after what he did v Man City
Troy Deeney has hailed Robin Olsen’s “fantastic” first-half performance in Aston Villa’s 4-1 defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on 3 April.
Villa’s first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was due to start and was named on the teamsheet but was forced to withdraw due to illness, with Olsen taking the Argentine’s place between the sticks.
Despite the defeat, Deeney felt Olsen earned plenty of credit for his efforts to keep the reigning champions at bay in the first half, saying on talkSPORT (3 April): “Olsen, to be fair to him, great hands, never dropped anything and has looked really, really comfortable.
“Had no chance for the [first] goal but has been fantastic throughout.”
City turned the screw after the break, however, and Olsen was far busier in the second half, with Foden netting a hat-trick to win the game for Pep Guardiola’s side.
However, Deeney was still complimentary of Olsen’s performance, saying: “Olsen’s done really well, coming in at such short notice. He’s faced, what 20 [sic] shots and made about 15 [sic] saves. There’s been loads of little knockdowns and he’s held them well.”
Robin Olsen a capable deputy for stricken Aston Villa No1 Emiliano Martinez
Olsen is one of the few Villa players who managed to emerge from their 4-1 mauling at the hands of Foden and City with his reputation enhanced.
There was little he could do about any of the four goals that went past him – Rodri fired in from close range, the wall parted for Foden’s first from a free-kick and the Englishman’s next two were right in the corner.
The Swede faced a whopping 25 shots – 11 of which were on target, making seven saves – according to FotMob – as he attempted to hold back the tide of City attacks.
Olsen was also tidy with his short passing, connecting with all 25 such attempts (100%) – though he found his intended target with only two of his 13 long balls.
Additionally, he made two high claims and registered one punch, asserting himself aerially, whilst also making nine recoveries.
Olsen was certainly kept busy at the Etihad Stadium, but the blame for Unai Emery’s side’s defeat cannot be laid at his door.
In other Aston Villa news, Dan Bardell has revealed his delight at a positive England development for a defender.
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