Aston Villa produced a promising performance as we picked up a 3-0 win over Lazio at the Poundland Bescot Stadium on Thursday night.
Goals from Ollie Watkins, John McGinn and an own goal ensured we secured a victory in our penultimate pre-season outing, as we wrap up preparations for the new campaign against Valencia on Saturday.
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Unai Emery rotated his starting line-up to continue to share valuable minutes out across his squad, but those coming in and the more established individuals all impressed as we ran out comfortable winners.
It follows on from a positive pre-season tour in the USA, and while of course the main focus in on improving fitness and avoiding injuries, it’s also an opportunity to build rhythm and understanding on the pitch for the players, with all three of our summer signings starting the game.
Villa step up in important test against solid European opposition
Ahead of what we hope will be a deep run in the Europa Conference League this season, subject to getting through the playoff round, this was a crucial test for us against a top European side even if it was only in a pre-season setting.
It’s vital that this group get accustomed to playing at a certain tempo, remain disciplined defensively if we’re without possession for longer periods and continue to show a consistent high level of attacking play.
While Valencia will be another important experience this weekend, it was really positive to see Villa play so well against good opposition, and it will hopefully be something the players can learn from regardless of how comfortable the result was.
Emery’s influence continuing to grow
While we saw plenty of positives last season and already during the course of this summer, things are really beginning to click into place and on a consistent basis.
Villa are playing some attractive football in possession, and we’re showing great discipline and tactical awareness defensively to find a strong balance in the side, something that Emery is undoubtedly striving to establish as a hallmark of our displays.
Naturally, there is always room to improve and we are still in pre-season, but these are positive signs that will hopefully stand us in good stead when the competitive action begins in just over a week’s time.
Youri Tielemans stands out with top display
A lot was said of the Belgian midfielder last season during Leicester City’s struggles which eventually resulted in their relegation, but the early signs in a Villa shirt are undoubtedly positive.
Tielemans was excellent in running the Villa midfield alongside Boubacar Kamara, showcasing great technical ability, vision and passing range to help us create openings for the first two goals.
It follows on from a Player of the Match performance against Fulham in the USA, and we’ll wait to see if he has to displace someone in the starting XI, or if there is a system whereby we could see Tielemans, Kamara and Douglas Luiz all feature together.
Squad depth impress to offer assurances
Aside from one shaky pass out, Robin Olsen produced a steady performance in between the posts amid ongoing question marks over his ability to be a reliable presence at the back.
Calum Chambers, Seb Revan, Omari Kellyman, Jaden Philogene, Philippe Coutinho and Cameron Archer all made positive impressions as they battle to be more involved, and so it was important to see our depth provide some answers.
Time will tell if our work in the transfer window is over already, but with exits expected and perhaps some new additions to raise the level further, we’ve got quality in this squad and our youngsters have done really well this summer to stake their respective claims.
Excitement builds over Villa’s potential
The real test comes against Newcastle Utd on August 12 in our Premier League season opener, but it’s certainly been a while since there was this much optimism heading into a new campaign.
That of course isn’t just based on what we’ve seen in pre-season thus far, but also the performances and progress going back to last November when Emery first arrived.
We’ve continued to improve and develop our style of play and identity this summer, and coupled with the key additions to the group, we look capable of raising the standard once again this season as we try to kick on and enjoy some success in the Villa boss’s first full campaign in charge.