After a challenging pre-season tour in the USA, Aston Villa returned to winning ways after a 3-2 victory over Athletic Bilbao in midweek.
Goals from Jacob Ramsey, Jaden Philogene and Cameron Archer ensured we got a win on the board after three consecutive defeats during our time across the pond, and that will be a boost for all concerned as we move closer to the start of the Premier League campaign.
READ MORE: Villa player ratings vs Athletic Bilbao: Quintet impress in much-improved display that seals win
Villa face Borussia Dortmund in our final game of the summer as we conclude preparations ahead of our trip to West Ham Utd on August 17, and Unai Emery would have continued to take a lot from this latest outing, both positive and where he needs to improve things still.
Emiliano Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins will hopefully return at the weekend as we’re almost at full strength, while time will tell if there is any further movement in the transfer market either with incomings or outgoings.
Villa show significant improvement in attacking play
One of the main concerns over the course of our USA tour, was that we lacked creativity and looked blunt in attack. Albeit there were key mitigating factors to consider which contributed to that, it was fair to expect more from us in those games.
Importantly, Villa looked significantly better in the attacking phase on Wednesday night. We played with tempo and rhythm, our build-up play looked more cohesive and fluid, and the movement off the ball and passing was a lot of sharper and incisive, thus leading to three impressive goals.
While we must still improve defensively as we looked vulnerable at the back, it was crucial to see improvement in the final third and that’s what we got in a dynamic and threatening performance both individually and as a collective.
Jacob Ramsey comeback continues to gather momentum
Having gradually built his minutes up Stateside, the 23-year-old started to look fitter and sharper, and the signs were promising that he was settling back into a key role for Emery.
This was another big step forward for him, as not only did he show class in his movement and contribution to our build-up play, but his goal was brilliantly taken.
From his instinct and understanding positionally to drift into that space and get in behind to then show composure and quality to find the back of the net, he’s going to be a pivotal figure for Emery again this season.
Tielemans-Onana midfield partnership shows promise
There was a lot to like about the Belgian duo in the midfield pivot, as they provided us with control, balance and presence in both phases of the game.
With Douglas Luiz gone, Youri Tielemans may well find himself as the chief option in that deeper role in the pivot who is tasked with controlling tempo and possession for us, and providing that link between defence and attack to ensure we play with fluidity and hurt teams with the speed of our play moving into the final third by breaking the lines.
Balanced with Amadou Onana’s physicality, tenacity and athleticism to disrupt the opposition’s play in front of our backline, but also with his ability to play with the ball at his feet too, there were promising signs in this game if they are to be the starting duo on August 17.
Nedeljkovic to start season opener?
Not only did Matty Cash struggle in the first half, but Kosta Nedeljkovic once again impressed after coming on after the break, as he has done all summer so far.
The 18-year-old’s ability to add an exciting attacking dynamic to our play with his positive intent every time he gets the ball, he’s capable of making a crucial impact on our play going forward.
He still has to improve defensively in terms of his positional play, but with his recovery pace he can cover that at times. It sets up a fascinating wait to see if Emery will trust him enough to start the season or not, but he’s undoubtedly made a strong case to get the nod.
Bogarde continues to impress this summer
Although there were other impressive individual displays at the Bescot Stadium, Lamare Bogarde deserves praise as he has continued to make a positive contribution whenever involved this summer.
The expectation is that the 20-year-old will be loaned out for the upcoming season in order to ensure he plays regularly and continues to improve and develop his game, and that is arguably the sensible decision.
However, he’s done his claim to be involved at Villa no harm in recent games, and he showed his composure and classy ability on the ball in this one, while looking relatively solid defensively too. Perhaps still needs to mature with experience and grow physically to play at the top level, but there’s certainly a top talent there.