Aston Villa secured a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup after a 2-1 win over Tottenham on Sunday evening.
Goals from Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers sent us on our way, and despite the visitors halving their deficit late on, it wasn’t enough to deny us a deserved victory.
READ MORE: Villa player ratings vs Tottenham: Excellent display to advance in FA Cup
After an excellent start, Villa were a threat throughout and should have stretched our lead given the chances we created, but having failed to convert, we were almost punished for that wastefulness in the closing stages.
However, there were certainly plenty of positives for Unai Emery to take from the performance and win, as we keep our hopes of winning silverware this season alive as we await the draw for the next round.
Villa’s attacking options a delight to watch
Whether it was the starting quartet of Donyell Malen, Jacob Ramsey, Morgan Rogers and Leon Bailey, or those introduced off the bench, Villa’s play in the final third was a joy to watch at times.
While we’ll be disappointed that we weren’t more clinical to make it a more comfortable victory, the movement, sharp and incisive passing and link-up play was excellent, and allowed us to cut through Tottenham’s defensive shape consistently.
This Villa attack will cause most defences a lot of problems moving forward, and it will be down to Emery to get the combinations right, but the players will know that they must continue to deliver on the pitch otherwise there are top-level options available to replace them.
Defensive injuries risk preventing Emery from finding balance
With Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres already sidelined by injury, Ezri Konsa will join them in the treatment room this week after being forced off with a muscle injury after just 27 minutes.
Villa must find a balance with our defence providing a solid foundation for our attacking players to flourish, but that is becoming increasingly harder with so many absentees.
Boubacar Kamara once again did a superb job of filling in at centre-half, but hopefully we’ll have both Mings and Axel Disasi available this weekend to ensure we have players in their natural positions, and that in turn will hopefully allow us to raise our game even higher.
McGinn immense in midfield
While our attacking players will make the headlines and receive the majority of the plaudits, there was a hugely important performance from John McGinn in the heart of the team.
His work ethic, tenacity and desire in midfield was key to giving us control, getting a foothold and building sustained pressure, and the balance alongside Youri Tielemans in that area of the pitch was critical.
We’ll likely tap into his versatility in the coming weeks with other players coming back into the fold, but McGinn reiterated his importance in setting the standard for the rest of the team.
Rashford, Asensio make positive debuts
What an absolute delight it was watching our two new recruits shine in the final 20 minutes or so, with both Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio making themselves at home immediately.
Whether it was the former providing a spark with his direct running, positive intent and ability to take on players with his pace and quick feet, or Asensio’s exceptional touch, creative and technical quality and passing to add flair to our play in the final third.
Both made a very positive first impression in their debuts for Villa, and they will hopefully add something special to an already talented attacking unit.
Emery, Villa serious about FA Cup objective
Whether it’s the strength of our starting line-up, the options on the bench to showcase our squad depth or Emery’s messaging before and after the game, Villa are serious about the FA Cup this season.
After years of disappointment in failing to even get this far in the competition, we’ve already made progress and knocked out two fellow Premier League sides.
With the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea gone, it has opened it up for the rest of the pack, and although we could still face some incredibly difficult tests if we make a deep run, this has to be seen as a massive opportunity to go on and compete for a trophy.
