Winners and losers from Aston Villa vs Newcastle United include Marco Bizot and John McGinn
Aston Villa were held to a scoreless draw in their Premier League opener against Newcastle United on Saturday.
The visitors dominated the early stages, with Marco Bizot denying Anthony Elanga after the winger had gone through on goal.
In the 66th minute, a difficult task became even harder for Villa, when Ezri Konsa was shown a straight red card after pulling down the speedy Anthony Gordon on the counterattack.
But Aston Villa secured a point against Newcastle, despite going down to 10 men, and there were plenty of winners and losers from the clash.
Winner – Marco Bizot
Villa’s Premier League opener also marked Bizot’s competitive debut for the club, following his £3m arrival from Brest in July.
The Dutchman was filling in for first-choice Emi Martinez, with the Argentine unavailable for the first three games of the season after his red card against Manchester United on the final day.
Bizot instantly showed his quality, making himself big to save the one-versus-one effort of Elanga.
And the 34-year-old was called into action again shortly after, getting down low to tip Anthony Gordon’s drive around the post and away from danger.
Bizot was not required for many saves after Villa had gone down to 10, but was dominant over his box and can enjoy a well-earned clean sheet.
Loser – Ezri Konsa
Konsa was among Villa’s most reliable defenders last season, earning himself a spot of more prominence in the England squad.
The 27-year-old has built a reputation for himself as a defender with confidence, composure, and intelligence when facing off against the Premier League’s trickiest attackers.
- Ezri Konsa will miss Aston Villa’s trip to Brentford through suspension.
But Konsa’s decision to bring down Gordon exuded none of those qualities. The Englishman lost track of the winger and left the referee with no other option.
Whilst the attacker may well have scored, Konsa should have given his goalkeeper a chance – especially considering Bizot had already saved from a one-versus-one situation earlier in the game.
Ultimately, the defender was bailed out by his teammates, but must learn from the error.
Loser – John McGinn
Villa made their intentions clear when they rejected Everton’s bid for John McGinn, and instead offered the midfielder a new contract.
But the 30-year-old was unimpressive against Newcastle, often failing to find a teammate with his passes.
And with the ball at his feet, McGinn was often surrounded and muscled off the ball, failing to demonstrate the usual sturdiness he is known for.
| John McGinn | vs Newcastle United |
| Successful dribbles | 0/2 |
| Dispossessed | 1 |
| Ground duels won | 0/5 |
The Scot will play a key role for Villa this season but would have hoped for a better start, with his position on the right of the attack at risk.
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