Aston Villa: Champions League hopes slashed amid Douglas Luiz development after Brentford draw
Unai Emery has been handed a brand new blow in the race for Champions League football after Aston Villa drew 3-3 with Brentford on Saturday (6 April).
The Villans blew a 2-0 lead over the Bees at Villa Park as a crazy nine minutes saw Mathias Jorgensen, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa cancel out goals from Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers.
Watkins managed to salvage a point for Emery’s side, but just one against a relegation-threatened team is already a poor enough result in the Premier League.
Tottenham, who next face Nottingham Forest, are now just three points away from the top four spots, and three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could see them push Villa out of Champions League qualification.
However, Emery has been handed another blow in the race for Champions League qualification after Douglas Luiz picked up a yellow card in the seventh minute of added time.
Douglas Luiz set to miss Arsenal clash as Aston Villa hopes slashed
Luiz’s foul on Jorgensen saw the midfielder handed his 10th yellow card of the Premier League campaign, which will see him suspended for Villa’s clash with Arsenal on Sunday 14 April.
Due to the league’s rules, players who accumulate 10 bookings within their club’s first 32 games must serve a two-match suspension. Of course, with the Brentford match being their 32nd game, it was bound to happen.
Emery should be extremely disgruntled with the Brazilian, who picked up a needless yellow card, which could now have dire effects on Villa’s chances of securing Champions League football next season.
As usual, Luiz’s performance was commendable despite the utter madness surrounding him. The 25-year-old maintained an 88 per cent pass completion, as per FotMob, just short of his 89 per cent average. [FotMob]
He also created two chances, the most of any player in the game, as well as making four recoveries and winning 67 per cent of his aerial duels.
Compared to midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, Luiz ranks in the top 98 percentile for non-penalty goals, the top 80 percentile for assists, and the top 84 percentile for shot-creating actions. [FBref]
There is no doubt that Luiz will be a massive miss as Villa prepare to take on Arsenal at the Emirates, especially with Boubacar Kamara, Emiliano Buendia and Jacob Ramsey all injured.
Emery will have to hope his team can cope without the Brazilian’s presence in midfield, with a spot in the top four at risk.
In other Aston Villa news, an admission has been shared after a £900million Premier League development.
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