Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest closed out a satisfying and impressive week for Villa, with Emery’s side having also dispatched Brighton after progressing to the semifinals of the FA Cup by easing past Preston NE. One week, three matches, three victories, with the last being the hardest of the lot.

As a result, Villa’s teetering bid to return to the Champions League got a significant boost as no one really expects us to lift that trophy and automatically return.

But, there is a chance, however slim, of being crowned Champions of Europe. Unfortunately, what looks to be the biggest obstacle to that is PSG. They’ve looked the most dangerous side so far even if they did make hard work of the league phase. Of interest, though, is that the test Villa faced against Forest was probably good practice for the challenge PSG will present: a fast, athletic and quick-striking side who, on their day, are lethal up front and quite capable of wresting control over any match.

The key to Forest’s impressive and surprising season has been simple: defend well and counter. So they’re not really worried about possession, per se. They want to press high at times, dropping everyone else back, which leaves a little room between the lines, but they reform deeper quickly to contest the middle and always look for space to get in behind. They can press and battle all over the pitch, contesting those central areas and winning the ball back readily to spring forward. But the recipe is straightforward: score first and capitalize on that with their speed and athleticism once you have to chase.

It’s nothing new, it’s just being executed very well and consistently. Villa simply turned it round on the day, got two quick early goals and just about managed to ride out the inevitable storm that followed. And for all their exploits, Forest are now only six points ahead of Villa having had far fewer games to play.

So before we square off Wednesday night, it’s not a bad time to look around and appreciate what Emery’s side have accomplished so far. Were it not for the post-European dips, Villa would probably be sat in the top four again, which is impressive, given the load and increasing quality of the pack. A number of very good managers are working small wonders at the ‘lesser’ clubs. Recruitment has been good, tactics and execution have improved broadly. It’s always been said, but I don’t know that it’s ever been more true: There are no easy games. Apart from the bottom three, and that only shows how the gap is growing. Let’s call it 32 tough matches and six banana peels.

It’s been good, could’ve been a little better, and we’ve obviously won nothing at this point. Palace will be tough.

But back to PSG. Over two legs, this looks to be a very tall order, and my guess is that most of us expect our European adventure to end here. And once you’ve found yourself among the eight best teams in Europe, there’s no shame in that. It might well be best for the league run-in, as well.

What no one wants, of course, is a rout. If you’re going to go out, at least make a good showing of it. And doing that is basically the conceivable path through the tie. If we’re going to lose in Paris, keep it close. Better yet, play for a draw and get it. And yes, you could always go out and win. But PSG are exactly the sort of side against which we don’t match up well.

Now that we’ve seen a lot more tweaks from Emery and different approaches and personnel groupings, there’s not much that’s off the table. I obviously won’t have put in the 20+ hours of PSG matches that Emery will, never mind the rest of the staff. And Marco Asensio will probably be a huge asset in understanding individual strengths and weaknesses and the mentality of the squad. He’ll know as well as anyone what he’d be told if he were lining up against Villa.

Given PSG’s attacking prowess, I’d be very tempted to go with Onana and Kamara as the anchors in front of Disasi on the right with Konsa and Mings as per. I say Ty because I think that extra bit of pace could be invaluable. Torres obviously is better with the ball, but pace, aerial quality, and a little more overall strength…? I’m assuming it will be Digne on the left since he was given a rest. This means Youri could play further up as we’ve seen (but not lately). While I’m not a huge fan of his defending, it could be that Cash gets the call for his pace. But if Villa are going to be cagey and defensive, you’d be less worried about tracking back than being stout.

Returning to Asensio, I’m guessing he hasn’t been in Enrique’s plans as he doesn’t fit the physical profile, being more suited to Emery’s patient possession. And I’d assume that his start against Forest means he’s not in line to start Wednesday. Likewise, I’m wondering whether Ollie’s start means Rashford gets the nod. But I could easily see both playing with Rashford returning wide left.

Now that Malen has found his footing, I’m really wishing he’d been included in the squad as it’s the right that bothers me most. Obviously Rogers comes to mind, though it does seem to reduce his influence (and he still came up with two assists against Brighton). That gives us pace and size down both flanks, and overall I’d feel better with Rogers in front of Disasi than Bailey in front of Cash.

We’ve all seen the talk about Ollie and probably have our own questions. And it’s a bit tricky for Emery trying to balance loyalty to the players who fought to get them into the CL versus the investment and impact in the Rashford-Asensio moves. Is Ollie short on confidence? Has he downed tools, as some suggest? Is he just a bit surprised or hurt and that’s gotten him to doubt himself? Could be anything, but I don’t think he’d consciously let himself or the side down. Doesn’t match what we’ve seen from him over all these years, and certainly wouldn’t help him get a summer move if he ends up wanting one.

So for me, it’s Ollie up front in a 4-2-3-1. But I can easily see Emery employing the more familiar 4-4-2, maybe with McGinn in right midfield for a bit of bite and Rogers coming back into the middle. I just worry that SJM doesn’t have the required pace and quality/composure on the ball under a lot of aggressive pressing and dueling.

And maybe the wildcard is that Villa play as much through the middle as any team in the PL besides Chelsea. Does that play into PSG’s hands? Does Emery look to surprise them by changing it up? Can Villa really hold up if they are sitting deeper? Can we handle the pressing and duels, regardless? The last one is my biggest concern, but I’m also mindful that we get wobbly under sustained attacking pressure. Funnily enough, my nightmare scenario is that we go long, Rashford gets an early goal, and we have to endure the agony of trying to see that out.

Anyway, that’s where I’m at: damage limitation with enough firepower to spring a surprise. I’m sure PSG will come out all guns blazing looking to kill off the tie in Paris and maybe even in the first half. I’m going to be a bundle of nerves because of that more so than the opportunity to progress. But we’re here, and hopefully we put up a good fight. As usual, I’m always ready to be pleasantly surprised, but this one I’m going to approach realistically.

Over to you.

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John Clark
John is co-owner of AVL, and has followed the Villa since the '70s. A journalist by trade, he is, by most accounts, a very nice person. You can follow me on Twitter @JClarkKohoutek. It's an astonishing experience. Or a complete waste of time.

Comments 271

  1. Plug

    Thanks for the script John, it echo’s what most Villa fans will be thinking right now. As for me, I’m not at all confident about this tie. When you’re down to the last 8 of Europe’s finest, the going is extremely tough. I’m expecting us to come up short, but definitely hoping we stay in the tie after the first leg so that some hope remains at VP. I’m already a bag of nerves and it will only get worse as kick off approaches.

    As for team selection and system deployed, I’ll happily leave that to the master and trust in his judgement. Surprising things can happen. Wasn’t expecting that result or performance from the Arse last night so you never know….

  2. James Gill

    Nerve jangling, team news
    Martinez cash konsa torres digne kamara mcginn tielmens Rogers ramsay rashford and on bench bar garcia and malen just Bailey injured

  7. r0bb0

    Well we’d have taken 1-1 at half time.
    Rashford looks at home on this stage doesn’t he.?
    Although it would be nice to have more possession, I’d ha e hated watching us trying to play it out of defence, the way that Liverpool tried to

  9. John Clark

    I’ll take it. Hate conceding that one, but it was a good shot.

    Would like to see us come out a little quicker when they’re lining up on the edge of the box.

  17. r0bb0

    Just before their third goal, the wife said “they’re trying to draw us out a bit further, and that extra little bit of space was enough for them to open us up.

  19. James Gill

    That’s a sickener, but hey what a performance by team manager coaches,no criticism tonight some warriors
    Kamara give him what he wants contract wise,my man of match but mcginn was amazing martinez superb

  22. r0bb0

    Well. . . now we know we have to concentrate hard on beating Southampton at the weekend.
    We mustn’t let the disappointment of tonight distract us from our main objective of trying to squeeze through into the top 5 in the league.

  23. James Gill

    It took 2 world class goals to get past martinez, and mad thing is psg can rest before and during this tie ,we have played 3 games in previous 10 days and another very important one at weekend

  24. Plug

    Gutted with their 3rd goal. But as a yardstick PSG are where we need to reach. At least it simplifies matters for next week. They think they’re in the semi’s, we have nothing to lose so just get stuck into them. They do give you the odd chance at the back.

  26. John Clark

    There’s a lot to that, JG.

    Was the right approach to the game, and the players executed it well defensively. For all the danger, not necessarily a lot of great chances for them, and two unbelievable strikes.

    For me I think it just highlights a need to keep working on some pace and physicality. Watching how hard Liverpool worked in the second leg to try and match PSG’s ball-winning, we’re just not there.

    But, as you say, we come into this tie under very different circumstances, and it doesn’t help.

  27. John Clark

    Plug,

    There were chances to get another, but a couple poor decisions on the break, and players not adjusting to how quickly they’d get chased down.

    But yeah, that’s where we’re trying to get.

  29. John Clark

    Yeah, they’re really good, JG. Endless running and chasing down, get up and down the pitch really quickly, play it around nicely. Excellent recruiting.

  30. Plug

    Disasi is coming in for some pelters after the game in some quarters. Why did Unai bring him on for Cash? The perceived wisdom is because the early booking of Cash left him vulnerable to a red card. Well, the booking is worth another look. It was an extremely unfair yellow card for a tackle that wasn’t even a foul. If the subbing of Cash was indeed for this reason, then that yellow card had a profound effect on the result.

  31. Plug

    The French media is lapping it up. Just print off all the pics and statements and pin them up in the changing room ahead of the return leg for motivation.

  32. James Gill

    Plug
    Cash had a few fouls by time he got booked ,only thing emery could have done was move konsa to fullback, left dissai in middle,still I am so proud of effort of everyone involved last night and hope mings gets 15 to w0 mins in home leg he deserves it

  33. John Clark

    Yeah, the FB situation was tricky. Outpaced on both sides, and Kvaratskhelia was eating Cash’s lunch. Along with everyone else’s. Quite a player.

  34. Plug

    In the 23/24 financial results recently published, Villa have exceeded the 80% limit of players salaries compared to turnover permitted by UEFA. It has led to discussions between Villa and UEFA with the likely outcome of a fine. This current season, the ratio has been reduced to 70%.

    https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/apr/11/aston-villa-in-talks-with-uefa-over-deal-after-breach-of-squad-cost-rules

    With expected turnover peaking around £370 million for 24/25 season, we should be OK this year. Which leads me to point out that the upcoming FIFA closed season so called World Club Championship likely to generate big funds for those invited, all other clubs are set at a massive disadvantage to those partaking. As the competition is not merit based and open to all clubs, the money collected from it should be excluded from any PSR or SCR calculations. Of course, this smacks of attempts to level the playing field so don’t hold your breath.

  35. Plug

    It’s a must win today. No other result will do. Don’t care about performance but just the 3 points. Only 6 EPL games left after today. P5 last year got 66 points. If we win today we’ll still need 12 points to reach that haul. That’s 4 wins from 6. It’s going down to the wire ain’t it. COYVB.

  36. jbd656

    Just seen the team sheet for the soton game. Rashford at CF again. Does Emery rate Rashford over Watkins? Is something going on with Watkins? Do we buy Rashford and flog Watkins? Can they not play together?

  37. jbd656

    Almost like we are at VP with southampton putting in a typical away performance by soaking up all the pressure and frustrating Villa. We all have seen in the past where that can go. I’ve seen faint glimmerings of a cock up in our defense.

    Rogers being very disciplined out on the right wing but also being totally wasted. No chance to do his thing and shine. Rashford working hard and doing the odd bit of scraping for the ball.

    FRUSTRATING! Please dont go to sleep Villa.

  43. jbd656

    Got a theory that Ollie is likely to miss if he has time to think. That goal today was purely instinctual with absolutely no thinking time. Perhaps one of his most spectacular goals. Tmans POTM for orchestrating everything and setting up Ollie’s goal.

    I’ve worked hard today. Bring back f**m to take the strain.

  44. Plug

    Finally it was job done. Made hard work of it. Despite all the pressure and control, I didn’t think we looked like scoring until Ollie came on. His first timer over Ramsdale was brilliant. Then we looked far more dangerous. Wonderful goal from Donyell to kill the game off. But Marco has just relinquished his peno duties. Can’t miss 2 in 1 game and remain on station.

  45. Plug

    You have carried the site today 656. And I agree, the Tieleman pass to Ollie for his goal was exceptional. Rogers pass to Malen wasn’t bad either. Malen has a shot on him, he’s my choice of penalty taker from now on. Except he’s not available against PSG.

  46. Plug

    It was also nice to see SJM the first to react to Asensio’s 2nd peno miss. In the end, it’s job done. Then the Foxes holding the Seagulls was a bonus. And Everton’s late, late goal against Forest a double bonus. We’re only 3 points behind Forest now.

  47. Plug

    We’re hitting the accelerator at the right time. Bigger fish are heading our way (Wai Ayes and Citeh) but today was must win. The bar has opened in chez Plug’s. It’s going to be an enjoyable evening.

  48. Plug

    I was surprised Garcia and Malen didn’t start. Not surprised SJM and Kamara were rested. But I definitely expected a few more changes to the starting line up. But how can anybody criticise a 0-3 score line?

  49. James Gill

    Hail emery, juggling players, getting reactions,another massive week coming, if psg doesn’t go well then all effort on Newcastle, won’t have to rest players, konsa and mings have to start,kamara tielmens as well and hopefully watkins has shrugged of his injury and is raring to go

  51. Plug

    There’s some good news concerning our game against the Wai Ayes next Sat. They play Manure tomorrow and then Palace on Weds night. We have an extra day of rest than them!!

  52. Plug

    Purring nicely after yesterday’s results. How different my weekends are when things go this well. Just 9 days ago (NINE DAYS), Opta Stats held Forest with a 91.5% chance of finishing in the top 5 and Villa with a 14.4% chance. It shows these stats for what they really are, just meaningless numbers. Villa won a couple of games and wrecked them. Win a few more is what Villa need to do and ignore the noise.

  55. John Clark

    The thing about enjoying Utd’s incompetence is that they’re epically incompetent when you need them to get a result.

    But I’ll take Chelsea dropping points.

  56. John Clark

    Had to miss the first half of Southampton, and in so doing not really miss anything. The second was wacky.

    But credit to Ollie and Youri for the first and then Donyell with another perfectly timed run.

    Obviously Marco should not be taking penos after we beat PSG 2-0.

  57. r0bb0

    Firstly, well done jbd, in keeping things moving on here during the Soton game! I wasn’t able to watch that one, but tonight, I should be able to . . . . but through my fingers I expect!
    It seems that most Villa fans are wanting us to take an ‘up and at ’em’ approach tonight, but I must admit that makes me nervous for two reasons:

    Firstly, this PSG side have such good players, that as soon as we leave gaps, they’ll surely exploit them. I know we have to score 2 goals, but if we go 3 behind early in the game, there’s no way back. Tension builds during games, and even if we had to wait till the 80th minute to get a goal back, any opposing team will then start to feel the pressure and an equaliser could well come.

    Secondly, let’s face it, whilst we’d all dearly love to upset the odds tonight, the odds are against us for a reason, and the odds would suggest that we’ll not make it to the semi final. For the long term development of the club, defeating Newcastle at the weekend would give us a much improved chance of qualifying for CL again next season. We’ve done well to conserve some energy and limit the number of injuries this season by playing a certain way. . . .it doesn’t seem to me, that now is the time to change that.

  58. r0bb0

    I’ll admit that I hadn’t heard the name of ‘wonderkid’ Sverre Nypan until this weekend, but it seems that he’s been firmly on the radar of the recruitment teams of many major clubs, including Man City and Arsenal. It’s gratifying then, to see them wringing their hands that that he appears to be rejecting their advances, and instead, is on the verge of signing for the upstarts, Aston Villa.
    It’s some way from being a done deal, but it is gratifying to see how much our profile has already risen, such that we are being seriously considered as viable alternatives for top prospects now.

  59. Plug

    Winding up for tonight. I’m sure that Unai will have a plan and the players will follow it. Like any sport, it can work or something can go wrong. We are up against the best. To see them treading on our turf will be privilege. Heading off to VP a bit later. COYVB.

  60. John Clark

    Agree with you both, r0bb0 and Plug.

    A great occasion, nights like these are what it’s all about. It’s good for the players to play against the best, and it tells Emery & Co where to improve.

  61. John Clark

    Tactics?

    I think you’re obviously playing for a 2-0 win, but that’s a lot of minutes (with extra time) to keep them silent. Then you get to penos, and I don’t know that we have enough takers who are mentally strong enough.

    So for me, and I agree with r0bb0 here, the idea is to put on a good showing, not get too open, see if you can get to 1-0 without exposing ourselves. Then, we see what happens.

    But I do think the Newcastle match is more important, yes. Because I really don’t see us winning 3-0 or, to be quite honest, keeping a clean sheet.

    That’s why they play the games, though. You never know. Penos, own goals, keeper mistakes, set pieces. More than one way to skin a cat. And even though they were all over us, it did take two very special efforts to score. We weren’t doing a lot wrong in such a hostile environment. If Ipswich can get two past Chelsea, well…

  62. jbd656

    I don’t normally indulge in team selection but I think the key selection for me is who starts at LCB. I presume the idea of picking Torres in Paris was to produce a killer pass from defense to set up Rashford. Thing is, we were so smothered by psg that Torres was so busy defending that he just didn’t have that one second on the ball to do his creative stuff. In retrospect it would have been better to have Mings for that extra ounce of defensive capability and organisation. I have no idea what psg’s track record is like when they play away. Suspect there would be no difference. We will be treading on eggshells not to concede so for me, start Mings if fit.

  63. John Clark

    jbd,

    Was reading a piece on PSG’s press, and yeah, none of the back four are going to get much time (deliberate understatement).

    I called for Mings first time round because of his pace and strength. I’m assuming Digne will start, but Maatsen is faster and trickier on the ball. Appears that PSG like to move their RB up to cover the LB (to help complete the smothering).

    So, it seems like finding some combination to get the ball over that press on the back four and into someone like Youri who can then put someone in. But they do want you to go long, regardless.

    I think my biggest concern will again be Cash/anyone vs Kvaratskhelia. He was virtually unplayable and that right side is going to be under a lot of stress again.

  64. James Gill

    What a time to be a villa fan,the occasion tonight good luck to those lucky enough to be there,for me it’s a free hit for emery tonight, only few think we have a chance,Saturday and Newcastle is more important looking at team it’s easy to understand emery choices,then look at bench remembering malen and garcia aren’t registered to play,unbelievable good performance then roll on end of season

  65. James Gill

    Team
    Martinez cash konsa torres digne kamara onana tielmens mcginn rogers and rashford
    Subs
    Olsen proctor mings matasen bogarde Bailey dissai barclay ramsay Watkins and asenio

  71. r0bb0

    I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. . . Why do they allow drums into football grounds?
    It’s bad enough on the TV, but if you’re near one in the ground it’s a fucking nightmare!

  84. James Gill

    Unlucky to be behind,players doing emery work to almost perfection, slip from martinez for 1st goal,2nd hit inside of post going in they are getting breaks,
    Var must be missing, tielmens penalty shout not looked at,haklml kick out neither ,in England duran got 3 match ban plus an extra fine

  85. James Gill

    Half time scrutiny is a bit harsh,,most of our players have never played at this level,even konsa has got carried away with occasion, 2 goals he was badly out of position

  86. r0bb0

    Yes, I’ve seen the rashford hate elsewhere and it simply isn’t justified.
    We’ve matched them for long periods though and looked a very good side at times, but against a team like this, when you go at them, gaps are bound to appear, and they’ll make the most of them.

  87. jbd656

    I think we are hoping for too much by putting Rashford at CF. It just isn’t his natural game. He is being set up for failure. I would have got it if Watkins had started the game then swapped them at 60 odd minutes. Bit like we used to do with Duran.

  100. r0bb0

    I’ve enjoyed the way the referee has let play carry on this game, but he’s made a couple of suss decisions in the last 10 minutes

  104. jbd656

    Monty Python ” Always look on the bright side of life”. At least we can concentrate on the league. Didn’t care about the chumpions league anyway!

    Yah boo sucks.

  111. John Clark

    I’m not necessarily one for moral victories…but tonight was an actual victory. That third goal in Paris turns out to truly be a killer. Course, everything is different after that.

    But they should be proud, the team. If that doesn’t tell them something about themselves, nothing will. There should be a lot of belief in them now.

  114. James Gill

    Rashford shot from distance,his shot from close range,asenio good chance,konsa header,matasen shot,tielmens header,, someone headed in front of onana ,amount chances we had

  118. John Clark

    Indeed, JG. And their second tonight, curling in off the inside of the post.

    Maybe Youri’s and SJM’s goals even it out a little, tbf. Thought we deserved them for pushing and creating, making our own luck.

  119. Plug

    So proud of the boys. It was a comeback for the ages. We managed to pin a fine PSG side on the ropes and just needed to land one more blow. And we had chances. Oh we did. Rashford denied twice by their keeper. Tieleman’s header likewise. Asensio clean through on goal. Maatsen’s shot at the death. So that overtime goal in Paris decided the tie after all.

  120. Plug

    Without doing much wrong, we found ourselves 0-2 down. That’s how it is in the last 8 of the Champions League. But Tieleman’s deflected shot gave us something to cheer about and raised hopes on the terraces of a competitive performance. Nobody saw the 2nd half coming. Hold the presses, something special is unfolding. About 10 minutes into the 2nd half, SJM collected the ball deep in his own half and marauded forward. He crossed the half way line and kept going. As he approached the penalty area he unleashed a missile into the top bin. A goal that belongs in the Champions League. The ground exploded with wild pandemonium. Then 2 minutes or so later, Rashford tore into the box from the wing and at the goal line pulled the ball back for Konsa to sweep home. Villa Park went nuclear. I leapt in the air and ended up on my back in the passageway 2 rows forward. The pandemonium was now rabid. These are the nights, fucking hell.

  121. Plug

    But the one extra goal never happened. It almost did on several occasions. We made a real fist of it and showed we can compete with the best. Do I want more of these nights? You bet I do. Which makes Saturday’s game against the Wai Ayes massive. If we can beat them, we’re on our way.

  122. Plug

    Can’t let the proceedings go without a comment about the Spanish ref Sanchez. This was the biggest game to date entrusted to him. He clearly favoured PSG over Villa. It’s not imagined, it’s fact. PSG got all of the decisions, Villa got nothing. SJM was elbowed in the face, nothing. Tieleman’s wins a clean tackle on the edge of his own area and under the ref’s nose, free kick in a dangerous position. He was completely incompetent and we must blame UEFA for his appointment in the first place. This morning I’ve checked out the match stats to see if my thoughts hold water. He gave 15 fouls against Villa during the game and gave just 3 against PSG. These stats condemn him. No team commits only 3 fouls during a game, it is not possible senor.

  123. r0bb0

    “I don’t think this team has been so dominated by another team in that way”
    Luis Enrique

    Says it all. . . .we belong on that stage

  124. r0bb0

    Super comments Plug. . . .what a privilege to be there on a night like that.

    As for your comments about the ref, the other comment that must be added is the amount of extra time. There were 6 substitutions, there were 2 goals, there were several stoppages, including the time when the referee knocked over one of their players and then hummed and hah’d over what to do next, there was all the time wasting by their goalkeeper. Three minutes only simply wasn’t possible.

  126. James Gill

    Newcastle on Saturday is so important, but with depth of squad we can go slightly different
    Martinez dissai mings konsa matasen kamara tielmens mcginn ramsay Watkins and Rogers and still have rashford asenio malen Bailey onana cash digne barclay to use from bench

  127. r0bb0

    It’d be handy if Joelinton picked up a booking tonight against Crystal Palace. . . . and was then banned from his next two games

  128. Plug

    Another immense game coming up. The Wai Ayes are bullies and not averse to using muscle or dark arts. Hope the fans are ready to scream the house down each time they do it. I know I will. We will have to match them. I see no reason why we can’t get 3 massive points. COYVB.

  134. jbd656

    Read somewhere that this ref and many others get highly paid gigs to officiate in the saudi leagues. Bearing in mind who owns newcastle, how can we be 100% certain that this ref is subconsciuosly 100% impartial?
    I detect signs of our defenders (Konsa) getting sloppy with the ball at their feet and overdoing the possession bit.

  136. r0bb0

    Missed the first half, but from what I’m reading we were the better side and should have been ahead.
    Hoping I don’t jinx the second half by watching it

  137. jbd656

    Asensio is probably our smoothest and most skilled player but I reckon he can have little switch offs and physical fades at just the wrong crucial moments.

  138. r0bb0

    Jbd, yes I’d read that about this referee too . . . and that he’s given Newcastle a penalty in each of their previous games that he’s refereed.

  163. James Gill

    Brilliant performance, unlucky not to be ahead in 1st half,ollie hitting woodwork twice, asenio missed great chance, ref was awful schar should have been sent off before his goal
    2nd half we completely dominated it ,controlled half way emery wants score 3 more goals,hit woodwork again,martinez never had a save to make
    Roll on city now

  166. John Clark

    It’s almost a cliché by now, but what Emery has done is nothing short of miraculous. Then Monchi’s moves and NSWE’s backing for all the support he needs

    Proper squad, top to bottom, gas in the tank, playmakers, scorers…Just truly impressive.

  168. jbd656

    Utterly gratifying to out football them AND make them look like donkeys. Another subdued performance from Rogers.Hope he can learn how to do his thing from the right. Footballer in chief Tielemans is my POTM.

  169. James Gill

    Brian clough always said the manager is the most important person at club,Watkins interview showed he is hurting from psg matches but in previous matches ollie was playing really below par,emery is boss and I trust him

  170. r0bb0

    Oh Newcastle have had 3 games in six days including Man United and Crystal Palace poor darlings .
    Tyndall is a plonker isn’t he

  172. r0bb0

    Another comme t I enjoyed . . . “Joelinton was just strolling through the game. . . There are Birmingham binmen who’ve put in a bigger shift!”

  173. Plug

    Battered them. Completely dismantled them. Hit the fucking woodwork 3 times as well. Guys, I’m on fire. Dislike the way the Wai Ayes play. Foul incessantly. When tackled, they scream and throw themselves on the floor. The ref was appalling, he let them get away with murder. Hate that type of cheating.

  174. Plug

    Ollie was outstanding. Tielemans was the orchestrator. The team put them to the sword. What was it? Twenty seconds in? Ollie rifled it home. Their goal was a fluke. And it was never a foul for the free kick. Maatsen lost his man. But he corrected matters with his first goal for Villa. Brilliant.

  175. Plug

    Enter the 2nd half subs and Ramsey plays in a beauty that Burn can only turn home. Followed quickly by Onana hitting a missile in the top bins. Cherry on the cake. Tough on the Wai Ayes eh? They’ve had to play 3 games in a week. FFS I’ll borrow John’s headline at the top, lambs to the slaughter.

  176. Plug

    So pleasant to coast through the remainder of the game. Watching Trippier suffer. Watching Tonali, Guimaraes and Joelinton neutered. We have a serious bench these days. Pity Asensio missed his tap in. Suddenly our -4 goal difference has become +6. Imagine Forest and Chelsea are feeling it.

  177. Plug

    It’s the time of year to be hitting our straps. We’re on a charge. What a 4 days I’ve had. The media is going to take note. Click, fizz, glug, glug. Happy Easter lifers.

  178. r0bb0

    Just seen the bbc first half highlights, and can understand why villa fans were unhappy about the free kick that preceded the Newcastle goal.
    Kamara won the ball cleanly, and his foot was then stood on by the Newcastle player, but the foul was given to Newcastle.
    Thank goodness that wasn’t the defining moment of the game

  179. r0bb0

    Happy Easter everyone.
    I imagine everyone’s still feeling the inner glow that comes after a good Villa win.

    Several weeks ago, I thought we were still in with a chance of Champions League football again next year because there were so many teams competing for places that I thought the points target could be comparatively low this year. How wrong I was. After 5 wins in a row, we’re still only 6th, and now it seems it’s not impossible that this season will have the highest points score for a 5th place in many years.
    The fact is though, that thanks to that amazing run of wins, for the first time, our fate actually now lies in our own hands. we’d need to win on Tuesday, but it’s good to know that we have caught up with the top 5 and are in back in with a genuine chance of qualifying.

  180. r0bb0

    It’s a testament to the physios and coaching staff that with just 6 or 7 games left in the season, we had every single player fit enough to play yesterday.
    We probably need to also factor in Emery’s management of games. Some fans have been critical of our slow build up in many games, but I say, go and watch Spurs, or Leeds under Bielsa, if that’s the sort of season you want.
    Maybe there’s also a psychological element at play with the players. Right now, it feels as if Villa Park is the place that players would want to play, and if you’re lying on a physio’s couch, with the summer transfer season fast approaching, you just might be prepared to play through a few niggles in order to try and impress the coach.. . . . I dunno. . . just guessing.

  181. Plug

    Wow. Really enjoyed that performance. Glorious. It wasn’t just the battering that ignited the crowd. It was also overcoming the dark arts employed by the Wai Ayes. The trip on Ollie in the area by Schar and the immediate reaction of 3 defenders going after the ref. The deliberate studs in Ollie’s stomach by Trippier far worse than Big Jhon’s at Newcastle which got a red and 3 game ban. I just hate their MO and wonder why referees don’t see it?? I didn’t think Kamara fouled his man and seeing a replay this morning confirms my thoughts. Kamara was fouled. The ref was incompetent and they scored from it. Schar of all people who should have been red carded for bringing Ollie down as last man and not even been on the pitch. Negotiating these hurdles as well as the fact we could have had 8…….

  183. Plug

    r0bb0, You’re spot on with your comments about what’s needed for P5 finish. If we can get something at Citeh, we’ll be looking good. Right now it seems that Wai Ayes, Forest, Villa, Citeh and Chelsea are chasing 3 spots. Two must miss out. Five games left for us. Should we win 3 and draw 1 then 67 points would be our lot. Is it enough? Think it’s in our interests that Manure and Spurs reach the Europa final. Might make them rest a few players against us. Fulham and Bournemouth will be tough as they’ll be fighting for P8 and the Conference League possibly. Then there’s Citeh away. But we have dealt with Forest and the Wai Ayes. Confidence is high. We will just have to keep stacking the points.

  189. James Gill

    We have to concentrate on our own results, think
    We are going to need at least 10 to 12 more points,every game in rotation is most important of season, and we have the squad to rotate players and after this week it’s only 1 game a week to contend with,,5 games to go 3 points (our goal difference) separating 5 teams it’s so tights

  191. jbd656

    Yippee! Spurs collapsing 0-2 in the first 16 minutes. Looks like a must win at shitty tomorrow. Our last game of the season is at home – might be critical. It just had to be spurs.

  192. James Gill

    So spurs are just crap,no kane to bail them out getting fouls and penalty’s for absolutely nothing tackles
    But it’s up emery to manage the team squad everything, for tomorrow don’t expect to many changes possible digne and torres coming in at defence, front 6 no need to change anyone, quality of subs on hour mark might decide game,as well as watkins played probably the header of post and couple other chances he have been more clinical
    Roll on Tuesday and city

  193. Plug

    Such a piss poor performance from Spurs. They never looked like scoring so I was shocked when they finally did. We need to get something at Citeh tomorrow. It’s our toughest remaining fixture. I’ll take a draw now.

  195. r0bb0

    Apparently, Spurs picked up as the game went on, but I’m afraid I couldn’t watch any more and had switched off at half time.

    I suspect that tonight’s game will have a bit more quality on show

  196. r0bb0

    I see that Kevin De Bruyne is surprised (hurt?) that he hasn’t been offered a contract extension. So. . . .does that leave him demotivated, or anxious to prove his value to a potential new club?

    It seems he’s had no approaches from any other clubs so far, which seems surprising. . . . .surely there must at least be a Saudi team that would love to have him?

  197. r0bb0

    I may be guilty of wearing claret and blue tinted specs sometimes, but if you want to see what the world looks like through black and white tinted ones, take a look at some of these comments from a Newcastle blog:

    “Jarred Gillett, who in the early part of the season let almost everything go, was blowing up far more frequently today. Most of the offences were given against United.”

    “Bruno was penalised again for an alleged foul and Watkins crashed the resultant 20 yard free kick off Pope’s right post with a powerful header.”

    “A mazy run by Rogers earned another free kick when Joelinton was penalised for what looked a fair tackle. Villa hit it weakly straight to Pope.
    Watkins tried to win a penalty but the referee was unconvinced when he fell to earth under challenge from Schar.”

    “A game too far, less than 72 hours after our 5-0 defeat of Crystal Palace.”

  198. James Gill

    No complaints about team,everyone coming in equal or better than replaced
    Mings matasen mcginn asenio and watkins dropped
    Torres digne onana ramsay and rashford coming in

  227. James Gill

    Wouldn’t mind seeing digne replaced by matasen, he is booked and this ref giving some strange calls
    We are holding our own even if martinez is all over the place

  228. John Clark

    Emi seems to have settled a bit…was just about to say I’d like to see Maatsen come on, JG.

    Getting Rogers more central would help. Interesting with Youri playing high and the very defensive-minded pivot pairing.

    Wondering if Villa figure City will tire. Starting to figure out the press. I’d like Rogers available for Youri to play through.

  230. r0bb0

    JG, I think Maatsen would make me a little nervous when under pressure in defence. Maybe a bit later in the game though when City’s intensity or pressing has (hopefully) dropped a little.
    I can see Maatsen enjoying running past their defence though.

  248. James Gill

    Gutting,so many times this season, can blame dissai but where was help from konsa closing down,going to be hard now will need 4 wins from last 4 games now
    Throws a damper on great run

  249. John Clark

    Despite the depth, we just looked tired tonight. City had more spring, jumping to more balls first.

    Rogers was definitely knackered, but maybe Malen’s error is why he was out there so long.

  251. John Clark

    And god I hate losing to them in the last minute. Was already marginally disappointed with an apparent draw, but figured that’s about what we were worth on the night.

    Naturally we get the City with more players back instead of the midseason donkey version.

  253. jbd656

    Can’t see what Emery is doing with Rogers. He is totally out of place and wasted on the right wing. For me, it’s Rogers or Ramsey – not both. We have shot ourselves in the foot with that selection. Emery seems to be pissing off both Watkins and Rogers. Is he being too clever?
    Silva seems to be the shitty version of ratface manure. Anyone hate VAR tonight?

  255. James Gill

    Thought rashford played well so unlucky with shot of woodwork, no rub of green so many matches this season along with martinez making goal conceded mistakes in last 3 games

  256. Plug

    What a bummer. Calmed down a bit now. Can’t really complain about the result. We don’t have a team that is capable of holding out against the very best. We never attacked them in the 2nd half. We carried very little threat. I could see that goal coming all half and was surprised it came so late.

  258. Plug

    Thought our entire performance was sub standard. You’ve got to have a go at Citeh at some point. Rogers hardly able to raise a gallop. Rashford ran his nuts off. Too many players not putting in the effort and not trying to compete for the ball.

  259. Plug

    James, I wasn’t impressed with Konsa or Pau. I didn’t like the laboured passing out from the back either. Marmoush had Cash on toast. Disappointing performance after the last game.

  260. Plug

    BUT….all is not lost. We’ve only lost 1 point. But I believe we’ll need to win all 4 remaining games to make the UCL now. And that means attacking like we did against the Wai Ayes. No more of this holding crap in the remaining games.

  266. Plug

    John…..”Despite the depth, we just looked tired tonight”. Totally agree and looking at possible reasons, I wonder if it was down to Unai demanding a low block with cautious attacking intent. He wasn’t in any hurry to rotate the subs. Is it possible that his instructions ham strung them?

    The mistake from Emi for the first goal was really unfortunate. He parried the shot away from goal but it hit his foot and rebounded into the net. It was actually an OG. After HT, I could only see one result as our inertia took over. This was the disappointment for me.

  267. James Gill

    Has life as a villa fan ever been better,yes we won league and european cup in consecutive seasons but it all fell apart thanks to doug Ellis, look now a fantastic manager, backroom team ,our 1st team squad is not far off the elite even after selling luis diaby and Duran along with upand coming youth lads,our owners have to up there with best in world,even without today’s announcement about north stand extension
    Roll on Saturday hopefully unai will have got a breather and ready to rumble with one of our bogey sides

  268. Plug

    News at last from the official site about the North Stand redevelopment. Increasing its capacity to 12,000 whilst keeping the existing facilities in use. Dubs and Alan Mac giving it the treatment. About time this work got underway. Capacity at VP to increase to more than 50,000. Completion due by end of 2027. Cost approx £100 million. Big changes to Witton station too.

  270. Plug

    Of course, the official site calling the North Stand “iconic” is obviously an American sales pitch. The stand is my usual haunt and it is anything but iconic. No circulation areas, shortage of toilet facilities and very tight leg room make it better described as dismal. Bit like Tom Brady calling small heath “iconic”. Hopefully when the work is completed, it lives up to that billing.

  271. John Clark

    Plug,

    Yeah, it was odd. Understand the tactics, maybe it did hamstring them, but we just didn’t seem to match their intensity (which surely is less than PSG’s and Newcastle’s). So, playing not to lose, half an eye on the semi…a bit drained from PSG and toon?

    Just didn’t look like we have of late. Maybe some of that’s down to City.

    Anyway, it’s now all about Palace and getting to a final. And maybe turning the tables on City at Wembley.

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