Aston Villa player ratings as 2-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv gets Europa League campaign rolling again
Goals from Dutch duo Ian Maatsen and Donyell Malen brought an unsatisfactory saga to the best conclusion
Sorry, idiots drunk on social media. Sorry, the global right. You wanted your bigotry to play out on the pitch tonight, in the one place where all anyone wanted to do was get on with the game. You offered your backing not to Maccabi Tel Aviv but against Villa, because you got your sad little stained panties in a twist about something that was never true.
Aston Villa coasted to a 2-0 victory against dreadful opposition, moving on to nine points from a possible twelve in the Europa League.
They even scored a penalty! What a time to be alive.
Drink. It. In.
Here are the ratings:
Emiliano Martínez - 8
Swept up well to deal with a clip in behind after quarter of an hour and made a very good save just before the break, albeit one the opposition shouldn’t have allowed him to make. Kept the opposition out again early in the second half with another useful stop. Sensational piece of footwork under pressure on the hour.
Ezri Konsa - 7
Captained Villa for the first time under Emery. Picked out a quite brilliant diagonal pass to Maatsen after half an hour. Fouled for the Villa penalty in the 56th minute. Barely broke a sweat against poor opposition.
Victor Lindelöf - 7
Lined up at right-back outside Konsa and made an excellent start both defensively and with the ball. Went on to put in a very tidy performance. Moved to left-sided centre-back after the first substitutions.
Pau Torres - 6
Neat enough in possession in the first quarter of an hour but nothing to do defensively and never pressured with the ball. Substituted with 63 minutes played.
Ian Maatsen - 7
Dispossessed to set up a counter-attack in the eighth minute after a positive start with the ball. Phenomenal finish to make it 1-0 in first-half stoppage time. Drew a save from the goalkeeper early in the second half.
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Amadou Onana - 7
Superb pass through the lines to pick out underlapping Maatsen in the early minutes. Bold and positive in his tackling and when moving the ball. Outstanding tackle on the edge of the Villa box in the middle of the first half. Substituted with 15 minutes left.
Lamare Bogarde - 7
Involved in possession from the start and characteristically unflustered. Defensive graft on show too but caused Villa some problems with a very risky pass across the box after a nice bit of tracking back. Has a lovely shimmy in his locker. Deputised at right-back after Torres was substituted.
Evann Guessand - 4
Lots of space available for him out wide and Villa were able to get him on the ball easily, but more is required when he has it. Too wasteful; hasn’t quite figured out the balance between taking a risk and squandering possession. Totally anonymous in the early part of the second half. Substituted with 15 minutes left.
Jadon Sancho - 6
More of the same from Sancho: willingness to run at players and the ability to do it but ultimately lacking in meaningful incision. Started to link well with Rogers as well as Maatsen on the left. Heavily involved as Villa took the lead. Barely had a touch in the second half. Substituted with 15 minutes left.
Morgan Rogers - 8
Always willing to drop into pockets to get on the ball and get turned. Drew the game’s first yellow card with a blistering run from his own box into the opposition half. Nearly smuggled in a remarkable solo goal ten minutes before the break and soon claimed a gorgeous assist for Maatsen’s goal. Withdrawn with 26 minutes left.
Donyell Malen - 7
Got into the box to take on Villa’s first shot, deflected wide in the 19th minute. Active in the box to force a save at point-blank range late in the first half, by which point Villa were probing more on the left and he’d gone quiet. Tucked a penalty into the bottom corner to make it 2-0. Very close to a second goal with quarter of an hour left.
Substitutes
Boubacar Kamara (for Torres, 64) - Standard Kamara against inferior opposition. 6
Ollie Watkins (for Rogers, 64) - Showed determination off the ball and almost scored a(n offside) goal by accident. 6
Emi Buendía (for Guessand, 74) - Immediately up to speed. 6
Youri Tielemans (for Onana, 75) - Stunning pass to Malen with the first touch of a quality cameo. 7
John McGinn (for Sancho, 75) - Involved creatively straight away. 6