Joe Gauci proves Unai Emery right after what he did for Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
Aston Villa were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Crystal Palace after losing 2-1, with Unai Emery struggling with his squad depth.
Villa Park hosted the Eagles on 30 October in the round of 16, and Jhon Duran brought parity to the game after Eberechi Eze’s goal early in the game, but Daichi Kamada’s strike ensured his team went through to the next round.
Villa have been impressive this season, and fans had every right to expect the team to go further in the cup competition and maybe even get their hands on silverware.
Emery made 10 changes to the team for the Palace fixture from the one that managed to get a draw against Bournemouth in the Premier League on 26 October.
Joe Gauci was one of the players who got the nod over Emi Martinez in between the sticks, but the Australian proved why the Spanish manager doesn’t trust him as much.
Joe Gauci poor for Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
Against Oliver Glasner’s team, Gauci had a decent 97 per cent passing accuracy as the hosts dominated the possession, as per FotMob.
The shot-stopper also completed all three of his attempted long balls, made 46 touches, acted as a sweeper thrice and made two high claims.
But Villa were poor defensively, conceding two goals despite Palace having an xG rating of just 0.55, with the Australian goalkeeper having a minus 1.29 rating for goals prevented.
It’s no surprise to see the 24-year-old not being given many opportunities at the Lions, and Martinez, who recently won his second consecutive Yashin Trophy, needs better cover in the team.
Gauci has only played in the Carabao Cup this season, and with the team now eliminated, it remains to be seen whether the shot-stopper will feature in the FA Cup for Emery in the coming months.
In other Aston Villa news, a former player has returned as an academy coach.
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