Aston Villa fell to a frustrating 1-0 defeat at Monaco in the Champions League on Tuesday in a blow to our automatic qualification hopes.
Wilfried Singo gave the hosts the lead after just eight minutes as he headed home from close range following a corner, and although Villa had opportunities to turn the game around, we were unable to take them.
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As the second half played out, it became increasingly unlikely that we would find a way through, and ultimately that proved to be the case as we suffered a loss in our penultimate league phase game.
Our focus, in Europe at least, will now be on Celtic at home next week, as we must win and hope results elsewhere go our way to ensure we finish in the top eight and directly advance to the knockout stage.
Basics not being done consistently, or well enough, at both ends
What exacerbates the sense of frustration after this result is that there were some positives hidden away in what was a messy performance. However, if we can’t do the basics right, and it’s as simple as stop conceding soft goals and taking our chances, we’re asking for these disappointing results and setbacks.
Monaco’s goal was entirely avoidable from initially giving away a soft corner via Tyrone Mings’ mistake to then not defending well to help Emiliano Martinez out. Another early goal conceded means more effort, strain and struggle for Villa to fight back.
At the other end, Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey and Morgan Rogers have to do better and ultimately should have scored. If we don’t take our chances, we will get punished, and this profligacy in front of goal is simply not good enough if we want to compete at the top level.
Buendia makes encouraging impact but could be too late
After a rare start, Emiliano Buendia deservedly received praise from Unai Emery for his performance, as aside from showing the minimum requirement of playing with intensity, desire and urgency, he picked up good positions in pockets of space to have a positive influence on our play.
However, with the Villa boss conceding after the game that the Argentine playmaker ‘has the option to leave’, it may well be too little too late as an exit could be inevitable.
It’s a shame but not surprising, as the 28-year-old has been limited to a bit-part role after his serious knee injury, and while it’s hoped that there is still a chance he stays for the rest of the season, perhaps a move elsewhere is more beneficial for all concerned.
Emery may no longer try two strikers up top
The Villa boss took responsibility for what he described as his mistake in the second half, as he opted to introduce Jhon Duran and deploy him alongside Watkins up front.
We’ve come to expect one or the other to lead the line this season as we’ve seen in previous games that the option of playing them together hasn’t been effective, but given the circumstances of this game, it felt a necessary move.
However, Emery conceded that it was a mistake on his part and it didn’t work, and so he now faces a simple decision in that he’ll likely go with one or the other moving forward. There is still the conundrum of making it work and finding a solution though, as it has to be a viable option when we’re chasing a result to give us a different dynamic up top.
Rogers reset needed or fatigue taking its toll?
Although he’s been in better form recently in terms of making a more consistently decisive impact in games, there has been a common trend for Rogers in the last few weeks that hasn’t been as positive.
The 22-year-old has often tried too much and surrendered possession too easily and too often, and that was the case at Monaco in what was a really frustrating display.
Emery noted after the game that the Villa playmaker was sick and so that raises question marks over whether or not he should have been been in the starting line-up. However, whether it’s a rest to recover or a reset to get back to the basics of what make him so effective and important in our system, we need a more refined and ruthless version of the talented youngster.
Emery as critical as he’s been since arriving
The Villa boss has consistently backed his players and tends to avoid any public criticism, and while he was self-critical too as noted above, he didn’t hold back in his assessment of the performance.
Emery specifically pointed out our missed chances, how our set-pieces were ‘horrible’, conceded that some players are not following the plan he’s putting in place and made other comments in his post-match press conference that caught attention.
In fairness, every point he made was warranted, and with Mings conceding in his post-match interview that we simply weren’t good enough and that we have to be better, it’s hoped that the message gets across clearly and we respond on the pitch with action rather than the right words with a big week ahead.
