Aston Villa suffered a 1-0 defeat to Brighton on Sunday, with a late Joao Pedro penalty the difference between the two sides.
Villa struggled throughout in a lethargic and lacklustre performance, and having failed to build any real sustained pressure to create a goalscoring threat, it had been hoped we’d at least be able to hold out for an important point.
READ MORE: What Unai Emery said in assessment of Villa’s defeat at Brighton
Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be as we conceded late on, and so now we’ll likely need a result against either Liverpool or Crystal Palace to secure fourth place, and book our spot in the Champions League next season.
The more immediate focus though will be on Olympiacos on Thursday, as we try to overturn a 4-2 deficit in the second leg of our Europa Conference League semi-final tie.
Tired Villa have to dig deep and find something
It’s becoming increasingly clear that the players are starting to struggle with fatigue, as although we battled throughout, there was a distinct lack of quality and an inability to create a threat.
Whether it was a poor first touch, an overhit pass or being out-hustled by the opposition, Villa couldn’t impose ourselves and gain control for a prolonged period to take charge of the game.
Having played almost 50 games this season already, we’re low in energy and stumbling across the finish line it seems. However, we simply have to find something over the next week to stay on course to achieve our objectives.
Olsen excellent in positive response
After shipping four goals in midweek against Olympiacos and with the pressure on as it’s ultimately impossible to fill the void that Emiliano Martinez leaves behind, Robin Olsen needed to put in a big shift on Sunday.
He did just that with a string of fantastic saves, and the experienced Swedish stalwart was so unfortunate having initially saved the penalty only to see the rebound go in.
Given how influential he is for us, it’s hoped that Martinez is ready to return on Thursday night in Greece, but this was a great effort from Olsen when he was needed.
Rogers injury concern
There was more concern on the injury front as Morgan Rogers was forced off after just 26 minutes with an apparent hamstring issue.
The 21-year-old has been in fantastic form in recent weeks and a key reason as to why we’ve continued picking up positive results, and his exit from the game was a key moment.
It’s hoped that it isn’t a serious setback as we can ill-afford to lose another important option for Emery, but we’ll have to wait for further tests to determine how severe the problem is.
Moreno boost off the bench
While our injury problems continue to mount, there was finally some good news on Sunday as Alex Moreno returned to the matchday squad and got minutes in the latter stages.
Lucas Digne has had to take on a heavy workload in the Spaniard’s absence in recent weeks, and so it will be a relief for him and Emery to have Moreno back to be able to rotate and rest.
The Spanish full-back is arguably still the preferred option in that position given his quality going forward and how he fits the system and style of play, and so he’ll hope to get back into the starting XI in these last few games.
Tielemans a key missing piece
While we miss every single player that we’ve been without this season, the absence of Youri Tielemans has been prevalent in recent games given what he adds to the team.
Whether it’s in the deeper midfield role or in a more advanced position, the Belgian international’s composure, vision and technical quality make him a key piece in how Emery wants us to play with control.
It’s hoped that he’s able to return in midweek or at least against Liverpool, as it will also lessen the onus on our other midfielders who are also struggling through fatigue now to inspire us to better performances and results.