Aston Villa secured a dramatic 3-2 win over Burnley on Saturday afternoon, a result which temporarily moves us joint top of the Premier League table.
On a chaotic afternoon at Villa Park, Villa twice took the lead through Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby, only for the visitors to hit back and frustrate us.
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The second equaliser came even after they had been reduced to 10 men, but fortunately Douglas Luiz’s late penalty ensured we picked up all three points.
It was nowhere near our best, but ultimately the most important thing this weekend was getting the win and bouncing back from a disappointing few days last week given our results against Sheffield Utd and Man Utd.
Having done that, we can now rest, regroup and look forward to a less hectic January schedule and hopefully carry our brilliant first half of the campaign into 2024.
Aston Villa player ratings vs Burnley:
Emiliano Martinez, 6.5 – Will likely be disappointed to be beaten at his near post for the second goal, but he produced some key interventions again, having also been called into action to race off his line and sweep up too.
Ezri Konsa, 7 – Defensively solid and composed down that flank, and was also an assured option in possession. Played a key pass in the build-up to our second goal, and was an important presence throughout.
Diego Carlos, 6 – We looked vulnerable playing the high line for most of the afternoon, and eventually Foster made us pay. Showed good pace at times to recover, but needs to get that understanding and organisation spot on moving forward.
Clement Lenglet, 6 – Similar story to Carlos in that they didn’t execute the high line effectively enough, which in turn saw Burnley cause us real problems with the ball over the top. His lack of pace ensured he struggled to recover, but he does add a touch of quality with his distribution and calmness.
Alex Moreno, 6 – Still hasn’t quite found his best yet as he looked shaky defensively at times and sloppy going forward. However, his energy and impetus down the left flank are still crucial, and so we’ll hopefully see him kick on in January and become a bigger influence.
Leon Bailey, 8 – That’s now nine goals and eight assists in 25 appearances so far this season, as he continues to add a decisive impact. Took his goal really well with a top touch and finish, and was a constant menace for Burnley down the right side with his trickery and pace.
John McGinn, 7 – Not at his best as he didn’t impose himself as well as he can, but he filled the void in midfield alongside Luiz and helped us eventually get over the line. Will benefit from Boubacar Kamara’s return next month as he’ll be able to play more advanced again where he seems to flourish under Emery.
Douglas Luiz, 7.5 – Continues to make us tick in midfield, even though he’s still not quite at his influential best and misses the presence of Kamara next to him. Showed incredible poise and calmness to slot home his penalty to secure all three points, and that was undoubtedly a huge goal and result to get us back on track.
Jacob Ramsey, 6 – Another player still looking to hit top form, but continues to play an important role with his work ethic and movement. Will be frustrated he didn’t to better with a chance in the second half to kill the game off, and defensively needed to do better for the first goal. However, we’ll hopefully benefit from his upturn in form next month onwards.
Moussa Diaby, 7 – Great to see him get on the scoresheet after nine league games without a goal. Was wasteful in the second half though as we were punished for not killing the game off as he missed a number of openings, but positive signs from him and hopefully he’ll add a more ruthless touch in front of goal moving forward.
Ollie Watkins, 8 – Excellent in the build-up to our first two goals as he provided the assist for both, and now has the most assists of any player in the league with eight. Worked tirelessly off the ball to run the channels and create space for others, didn’t get a goal for himself but decisive nonetheless.
Substitutes:
Pau Torres, 6 – Difficult one for him to come into off the back of his injury setback, and he lost Foster for the second goal. However, an important run out as he slots back into the defence.
Jhon Duran, 6.5 – Showed good energy and desire in the latter stages, and subsequently won the penalty that secured the victory for us.
Leander Dendoncker, N/A
