Aston Villa battled from behind to secure a thrilling 3-1 win over Crystal Palace, with goals from Jhon Duran, Douglas Luiz and Leon Bailey sealing the three points.
After a positive opening 45 minutes, albeit we should have been ahead at the break, Villa fell behind early in the second half and struggled to get a foothold again to control the game as we would like with our patient, possession-based style of play.
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Fortunately, key changes from Unai Emery and with the Villa players continuing to push for a way back into the game up until the end, we were able to find a breakthrough late on that sparked the superb turnaround.
It had felt for a lengthy spell in the second half that it might not be our day with circumstances and moments going against us, but it’s a crucial win to help build momentum as we face a gruelling schedule in the next fortnight to try and compete on multiple fronts.
Aston Villa player ratings vs Crystal Palace:
Emi Martinez, 7 – Slipped at a vital moment in the lead up to Palace’s goal, but produced some pivotal saves thereafter to keep us in the game and avoid falling further behind. Will be disappointed with the goal, but relieved we ultimately turned it around.
Matty Cash, 6.5 – Worked tirelessly down the right side to give us width and stretch the pitch, and had two really good chances in the first half that he failed to take. As a defensive unit, there are things to work on.
Ezri Konsa, 6.5 – Looked composed and defensively sound for the most part, but there were things that need to be cleaned up as a backline as we looked vulnerable on the counter and in certain transitions in the second half as we lost our shape.
Pau Torres, 6 – Outmuscled and outduelled in the build-up to the goal, and that appears to be a reoccurring issue. Was excellent in possession again though, as he was unfortunate he didn’t register a brilliant assist for Diaby’s goal that was ruled out for offside.
Lucas Digne, 6.5 – Had his problems defensively at times with Palace’s pace and movement in attack, but stuck to his task and delivered the cross for Duran’s goal. We’ll need to work on things at the back as a collective, but another good shift from the Frenchman.
John McGinn, 6 – Not as influential as he can be in this one as he was quiet in the offensive phase of our game and didn’t impose himself physically enough defensively. Perhaps the switch in role is preventing him from gaining consistency and rhythm as he was back on the right side of our midfield for this one.
Boubacar Kamara, 6 – Did well to help us get a foothold in the first half as he drifted to the right side of a back-three at times in possession. However, we lost our presence and positioning in the second half and our midfield wasn’t able to control things as well we want.
Douglas Luiz, 7.5 – Showed immense calmness and composure to slot his penalty into the back of the net after a long wait in added time. Covered so much ground and imposed himself well for the most part on and off the ball, while adding technical quality to our build-up play too.
Nicolo Zaniolo, 6.5 – Glimpses of positive work from the Italian international in his full debut, as he wasn’t afraid to get on the ball and try and find a way to unlock the Palace defence. Showed a great turn and pace as well as close control on multiple occasions, but just needs to get that final decision right in dangerous areas.
Moussa Diaby, 7 – A real live-wire in the final third with his movement and speed, and he was a constant headache for the Palace defence. Unfortunate to have his goal ruled out for offside after a classy touch and finish, and although he wasn’t able to be decisive in this one, it was still an impressive outing for the most part.
Ollie Watkins, 6.5 – Missed a big opportunity in the first half as he pounced on a defensive mistake from Palace, and he certainly could do with a goal to boost his confidence. Won the crucial penalty though and continued to work hard for the team, but the longer the wait goes on to end his goal ‘drought’, the more frustration will build for him.
Substitutes:
Leon Bailey, 7 – Brilliant impact off the bench as his movement, directness down the right side opened up a new channel for us to threaten, and he played a key role in the turnaround before adding the icing on the cake himself.
Youri Tielemans, 6.5 – Added composure and control in midfield as we dominated the ball in the latter stages and had to find ways to make a breakthrough.
Jhon Duran, 7.5 – Superb goal to bring us level, as he showed great control and a top finish to fire his effort into the back of the net. Continuing to produce decisive moments to make a crucial impact on games he’s involved in.
Leander Dendoncker, N/A
