Lucas Digne shines, 4/10 dreadful – Aston Villa player ratings vs Crystal Palace
Aston Villa were held to a goalless draw against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
Aston Villa remain in the Premier League title race this season, though they will have to perform much better than they did for large parts of the clash with the Eagles.
Ollie Watkins had a couple of decent chances in a rather uneventful first half that saw both sides manage just one shot on target.
The tempo increased slightly in the second half, though the Villans still struggled to pose any real attacking threat.
Neither side were able to find the breakthrough, though Palace will be the ones who take more heart from the point.
Lucas Digne provides at both ends of the pitch
In a game where Villa struggled to pose too much of a threat offensively, they had to be solid at the back.
The entire back four showcased their worth, but Lucas Digne in particular was immense throughout.
Via FotMob, he completed 46 of his 51 attempted passes, including five into the final third, resulting in a 90 per cent pass accuracy.
Defensively, he won five of his six duels, while also keeping the score level in the second half with a superb block after a save from Marco Bizot.
As has been the case on several occasions this season, Digne was withdrawn for Ian Maatsen for the final 20 minutes or so, though he will be able to take heart from his display.
John McGinn frailties on show at Selhurst Park
John McGinn often comes up with something in the big moments, though he came up with very little against the Eagles – at least anything good.
While he did well to receive the ball on several occasions, his final pass was poor, as showcased by his 67 per cent accuracy.
In total, the Scotsman completed just 14 passes with one chance created, and that played a big part in Villa’s failure to offer much against Palace.
Unai Emery was questioned for starting him in the 10 role this evening, and his display did little to back up that case.
Player ratings vs Crystal Palace
Emi Martinez – 6 (for Bizot 45′)
Matty Cash – 7
Ezri Konsa – 7
Victor Lindelof – 7
Lucas Digne – 8 (for Maatsen 73′)
Boubacar Kamara – 5 (for Bogarde 81′)
Youri Tielemans – 7
John McGinn – 4 (for Malen 73′)
Jadon Sancho – 5 (for Buendia 65′)
Morgan Rogers – 6
Ollie Watkins – 5
Subs
Marco Bizot – 6 (for Martinez 45′)
Emi Buendia – 5 (for Sancho 65′)
Donyell Malen – 5 (for McGinn 73′)
Ian Maatsen – 5 (for Digne 73′)
Lamare Bogarde – N/A (for Kamara 81′)
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