Player Match Ratings: Christmases do not get much better than this!

[John]

Yesterday’s game brought us another clean sheet, another 3-0 win and another 3 points! This and our last game have reinforced my growing opinion, that we now have a determined, entertaining team that work for each other and has developed a winning mentality. That is rather a nice Christmas present for us Villa fans.

For the first time in many a year we have a team that can go into every game, no matter where we are playing and who we are up against, with the knowledge that they will give them a proper game. Clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Spurs and Chelsea, will now no longer see games against us as ones that they can expect to take three points from, without needing to get out of second gear. They will know that they are in for a game and are up against a team that have it in them to beat anyone.

We are sixth in the table following our Boxing Day win and later today, we will have one if not two games in hand of any team that is above us in the table. Should we win one of the two games that we have in hand and that is on current form not beyond the realms of possibility, we would find ourselves in the top four. Winning both, would be less likely, but it is not impossible, and should we do it, we could find ourselves on top of the table or at least within touching distance of a team we put 7 goals past in October. I accept that I am perhaps, getting a little or even a lot carried away, but after these last couple of games, I think we now have the right to dream and to ask, what if?   

If Arsenal or Chelsea, were in our present league position they would no doubt be labelled as being “title challengers”. Leicester’s title chances were largely ignored until it became impossible to continue to do so, five seasons ago. In 1980-81, our own title chances were considered less likely than those of Liverpool and then when they faded Ipswich. Can we do a Leicester and win the league after looking likely to be relegated the previous season? What I do know, is that you will not find a bookmaker willing to offer you 3,000/1 against it and few of us would “want to bet against us” if our current manager was to now ask us the same question as our late great manager had put to a reporter back in 1981.

We have at least made it into the top six and we now have only 10 less points from 13 games than we accumulated in the whole of last season. We made a winning start to the season, beat last season’s league champions convincingly and have shown the strength to come again following a couple of defeats at Villa Park, rather than to slide down the table. We now face stern tests at Chelsea and Manchester United, before we return to Villa Park to face Spurs and Everton. Two wins from these four games would make European football an increasing possibility and make a top half finish look likely. What if we got more than six points though? We might then even be viewed as potential title challengers! It has been a long time since we were, but this team might just do it. If not this year, then perhaps the one after next or the one after that.      

Palace came to Villa Park having been thrashed at home last week. Yesterday they were fortunate to only be beaten 3-0, by a flowing and confident Villa team that played the whole of the second half with ten men.    

Having started very strongly and created several chances, after going ahead on five minutes, we were left concerned at half time that one goal might not prove to be quite enough to secure all three points, given we faced playing the second half a man down. Would we simply drop back and try to hold onto the lead, facing increasing pressure as the minutes ticked down? No, we would work incredibly hard as a team throughout the second half to compensate for the loss of Mings and in fact be by far the better side in those last 45 minutes, as demonstrated by the two additional goals that we beat “the team of the eighties” by. Villa played as a team yesterday and they have really played some scintillating stuff lately.      

My player ratings from a game that Zaha showed that he is prone to doing something that opposition fans regularly accuse Captain Jack of doing, namely “going down easily” are:

Emiliano Matinez – 7 – On those occasions that Palace seriously threatened to penetrate our solid defensive barrier, Emi was on hand and determined to prevent the ball getting past him. Did very well to block a 1st minute Zaha shot from inside of the box, after he had got to a through ball from Benteke before Mings was able to. Dived low to hold a 16th minute Eze cross from the left of the area and then moved to his left to collect a 31st minute Milivojevic free kick from just outside of the area. Saved an 85th minute Eze shot from the edge of the box to his left and collected another low shot from the same player, from outside of the box 4 minutes later.

Matty Cash – 7 – Got a slight touch to the ball on 25 minutes and van Aanholt then seemed to fall into him. VAR insisted on rearing its ugly head again, although there was no clear & obvious error made by referee Anthony Taylor in refusing appeals for a spot kick and suggested he have a look at the touchline monitor. Fortunately, having done so, this referee stood by his own decision and Matty was not incorrectly punished. Well done on that referee, but a couple of the players Woy took off, might have merited a second yellow more than Tyrone did!

Kortney Hause – 8 – So solid at the back yesterday and Kortney was then first to react when the ball thudded off the crossbar on 66 minutes to head home our decisive second goal from close range, which was confirmed by the ever-reliable Hawk-Eye goal line technology. He really is beginning to look comfortable and increasingly confident in the centre of our defence.

Tyrone Mings – 5 – Tyrone was unlucky to be shown a first yellow on 39 minutes, after Zaha having himself fouled McGinn, reacted furiously to being caught on the leg by Mings as he stepped over McGinn on the floor. Referee’s do often tend to book both players in situations where the player that is given the free kick, immediately reacts aggressively to having been fouled, although Zaha had himself committed the first offence on this occasion. Tyrone then gave the referee a decision to make only 6 minutes later, when he put out an arm to stop the same player running past him just inside our half. Zaha took the opportunity to go to ground in a heap and having been booked a second yellow and an early exit, for our defender was inevitable.        

Matt Targett – 8 – MOTM – Did not put a foot wrong throughout. This was his best performance in a Villa shirt so far and he bossed his flank yesterday.                

Anwar El Ghazi - 8 – What a sensational goal that was! Anwar sealed our victory on 76 minutes. Grealish picked up a Hause clearance inside his own half before releasing the ball to Watkins, whose first touch let him down and took the ball to the left side of the area. Ollie went on to collect the ball and hit a short pass to Anwar who hit a screamer into the top left-hand corner of the net. He is now playing with confidence, looks comfortable playing in this current team and is looking a far better player, than many of us (myself included), had thought possible. Scoring goals for fun, now isn’t he?

Earlier, a 22nd minute Traore corner from the left, had got a touch off a defender’s head before reaching Watkins at the far post, his header was deflected into Anwar’s path, who turned and hit a shot that the nearby Guaita smothered. Found by Jack on the edge of the box, but his 35th minute shot was hit wide of the left post. Watkins 41st minute cross from the right, found him at the far post, but his shot was blocked by Guaita. Hit a 50th minute shot from the edge of the box that was comfortably gathered by Guaita.   

Douglas Luiz – 7 – He simply makes our midfield tick.

John McGinn – 7 – John worked extremely hard to compensate for our numerical disadvantage alongside Douglas, with whom he plays so well.            

Jack Grealish – 8 – Did Woy instruct his players to take turns in bringing Jack down yesterday? Ran onto a ball played for him by Traore and took it into the box, seemed to be pushed by a defender, but did not go down and instead hit a shot which Guaita saved with his legs. Was his usual exceptional self and on another day would have claimed a couple of assists.  

Bertrand Traore – 8 – Has probably taken longer than had been expected to settle into the club, but this and his last game, have shown we really do have some player on our hands. To quote Klopp, “Wow!”  Bertrand was very unlucky to be the one that was chosen to come off, to enable us to make a like for like replacement for the departed Mings in first half stoppage time, at a time when he was looking a likely contender for the MOTM award.

He had earlier played the ball to Watkins who ran on into the right of the box before hitting a shot that Guaita kept out with his right hand, but the resultant loose ball was hit past two defenders and the keeper, into the net by Traore after 5 minutes. Hit a nice 13th minute ball into the box, that McGinn almost got his head to. Received the ball from Watkins and hit a 17th minute shot from the edge of the box that struck the left post. Like Anwar he is making a habit of scoring.                                      

Ollie Watkins – 8 – Did everything, other than score and was a constant threat to the Palace defence. Worked incredibly hard and led the line very well, particularly in the second half when he was playing up front on his own. Headed a 66th minute El Ghazi free kick from the left against the crossbar after it had bounced off a defender, but Hause was on hand to finish the job. Played a nice one-two with Jack, but his 74th minute shot from inside the box was blocked. Grealish played an 87th minute ball into the box for him, but his shot from near the penalty spot was blocked by Guaita. Jack then again found him inside the box a minute later, but his shot having beaten Guaita then bounced back off the right-hand post back into his arms.    

Substitutes:

Ezri Konsa – 7 - Replaced Traore in the 3rd minute of first half stoppage time. Slotted seamlessly into the gap left in our central defence by the dismissal of Tyrone.  

Ahmed Elmohamady – Came on for El Ghazi on 86 minutes. Not on long enough to gather a rating.

Jacob Ramsey – Replaced Douglas on 91 minutes. Not on long enough to earn any rating.

Happy New Year to all my readers!

John Lewis

[Follyfoot]

3 hours ago, John said:

Yesterday’s game brought us another clean sheet, another 3-0 win and another 3 points! This and our last game have reinforced my growing opinion, that we now have a determined, entertaining team that work for each other and has developed a winning mentality. That is rather a nice Christmas present for us Villa fans.

For the first time in many a year we have a team that can go into every game, no matter where we are playing and who we are up against, with the knowledge that they will give them a proper game. Clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Spurs and Chelsea, will now no longer see games against us as ones that they can expect to take three points from, without needing to get out of second gear. They will know that they are in for a game and are up against a team that have it in them to beat anyone.

We are sixth in the table following our Boxing Day win and later today, we will have one if not two games in hand of any team that is above us in the table. Should we win one of the two games that we have in hand and that is on current form not beyond the realms of possibility, we would find ourselves in the top four. Winning both, would be less likely, but it is not impossible, and should we do it, we could find ourselves on top of the table or at least within touching distance of a team we put 7 goals past in October. I accept that I am perhaps, getting a little or even a lot carried away, but after these last couple of games, I think we now have the right to dream and to ask, what if?   

If Arsenal or Chelsea, were in our present league position they would no doubt be labelled as being “title challengers”. Leicester’s title chances were largely ignored until it became impossible to continue to do so, five seasons ago. In 1980-81, our own title chances were considered less likely than those of Liverpool and then when they faded Ipswich. Can we do a Leicester and win the league after looking likely to be relegated the previous season? What I do know, is that you will not find a bookmaker willing to offer you 3,000/1 against it and few of us would “want to bet against us” if our current manager was to now ask us the same question as our late great manager had put to a reporter back in 1981.

We have at least made it into the top six and we now have only 10 less points from 13 games than we accumulated in the whole of last season. We made a winning start to the season, beat last season’s league champions convincingly and have shown the strength to come again following a couple of defeats at Villa Park, rather than to slide down the table. We now face stern tests at Chelsea and Manchester United, before we return to Villa Park to face Spurs and Everton. Two wins from these four games would make European football an increasing possibility and make a top half finish look likely. What if we got more than six points though? We might then even be viewed as potential title challengers! It has been a long time since we were, but this team might just do it. If not this year, then perhaps the one after next or the one after that.      

Palace came to Villa Park having been thrashed at home last week. Yesterday they were fortunate to only be beaten 3-0, by a flowing and confident Villa team that played the whole of the second half with ten men.    

Having started very strongly and created several chances, after going ahead on five minutes, we were left concerned at half time that one goal might not prove to be quite enough to secure all three points, given we faced playing the second half a man down. Would we simply drop back and try to hold onto the lead, facing increasing pressure as the minutes ticked down? No, we would work incredibly hard as a team throughout the second half to compensate for the loss of Mings and in fact be by far the better side in those last 45 minutes, as demonstrated by the two additional goals that we beat “the team of the eighties” by. Villa played as a team yesterday and they have really played some scintillating stuff lately.      

My player ratings from a game that Zaha showed that he is prone to doing something that opposition fans regularly accuse Captain Jack of doing, namely “going down easily” are:

Emiliano Matinez – 7 – On those occasions that Palace seriously threatened to penetrate our solid defensive barrier, Emi was on hand and determined to prevent the ball getting past him. Did very well to block a 1st minute Zaha shot from inside of the box, after he had got to a through ball from Benteke before Mings was able to. Dived low to hold a 16th minute Eze cross from the left of the area and then moved to his left to collect a 31st minute Milivojevic free kick from just outside of the area. Saved an 85th minute Eze shot from the edge of the box to his left and collected another low shot from the same player, from outside of the box 4 minutes later.

Matty Cash – 7 – Got a slight touch to the ball on 25 minutes and van Aanholt then seemed to fall into him. VAR insisted on rearing its ugly head again, although there was no clear & obvious error made by referee Anthony Taylor in refusing appeals for a spot kick and suggested he have a look at the touchline monitor. Fortunately, having done so, this referee stood by his own decision and Matty was not incorrectly punished. Well done on that referee, but a couple of the players Woy took off, might have merited a second yellow more than Tyrone did!

Kortney Hause – 8 – So solid at the back yesterday and Kortney was then first to react when the ball thudded off the crossbar on 66 minutes to head home our decisive second goal from close range, which was confirmed by the ever-reliable Hawk-Eye goal line technology. He really is beginning to look comfortable and increasingly confident in the centre of our defence.

Tyrone Mings – 5 – Tyrone was unlucky to be shown a first yellow on 39 minutes, after Zaha having himself fouled McGinn, reacted furiously to being caught on the leg by Mings as he stepped over McGinn on the floor. Referee’s do often tend to book both players in situations where the player that is given the free kick, immediately reacts aggressively to having been fouled, although Zaha had himself committed the first offence on this occasion. Tyrone then gave the referee a decision to make only 6 minutes later, when he put out an arm to stop the same player running past him just inside our half. Zaha took the opportunity to go to ground in a heap and having been booked a second yellow and an early exit, for our defender was inevitable.        

Matt Targett – 8 – MOTM – Did not put a foot wrong throughout. This was his best performance in a Villa shirt so far and he bossed his flank yesterday.                

Anwar El Ghazi - 8 – What a sensational goal that was! Anwar sealed our victory on 76 minutes. Grealish picked up a Hause clearance inside his own half before releasing the ball to Watkins, whose first touch let him down and took the ball to the left side of the area. Ollie went on to collect the ball and hit a short pass to Anwar who hit a screamer into the top left-hand corner of the net. He is now playing with confidence, looks comfortable playing in this current team and is looking a far better player, than many of us (myself included), had thought possible. Scoring goals for fun, now isn’t he?

Earlier, a 22nd minute Traore corner from the left, had got a touch off a defender’s head before reaching Watkins at the far post, his header was deflected into Anwar’s path, who turned and hit a shot that the nearby Guaita smothered. Found by Jack on the edge of the box, but his 35th minute shot was hit wide of the left post. Watkins 41st minute cross from the right, found him at the far post, but his shot was blocked by Guaita. Hit a 50th minute shot from the edge of the box that was comfortably gathered by Guaita.   

Douglas Luiz – 7 – He simply makes our midfield tick.

John McGinn – 7 – John worked extremely hard to compensate for our numerical disadvantage alongside Douglas, with whom he plays so well.            

Jack Grealish – 8 – Did Woy instruct his players to take turns in bringing Jack down yesterday? Ran onto a ball played for him by Traore and took it into the box, seemed to be pushed by a defender, but did not go down and instead hit a shot which Guaita saved with his legs. Was his usual exceptional self and on another day would have claimed a couple of assists.  

Bertrand Traore – 8 – Has probably taken longer than had been expected to settle into the club, but this and his last game, have shown we really do have some player on our hands. To quote Klopp, “Wow!”  Bertrand was very unlucky to be the one that was chosen to come off, to enable us to make a like for like replacement for the departed Mings in first half stoppage time, at a time when he was looking a likely contender for the MOTM award.

He had earlier played the ball to Watkins who ran on into the right of the box before hitting a shot that Guaita kept out with his right hand, but the resultant loose ball was hit past two defenders and the keeper, into the net by Traore after 5 minutes. Hit a nice 13th minute ball into the box, that McGinn almost got his head to. Received the ball from Watkins and hit a 17th minute shot from the edge of the box that struck the left post. Like Anwar he is making a habit of scoring.                                      

Ollie Watkins – 8 – Did everything, other than score and was a constant threat to the Palace defence. Worked incredibly hard and led the line very well, particularly in the second half when he was playing up front on his own. Headed a 66th minute El Ghazi free kick from the left against the crossbar after it had bounced off a defender, but Hause was on hand to finish the job. Played a nice one-two with Jack, but his 74th minute shot from inside the box was blocked. Grealish played an 87th minute ball into the box for him, but his shot from near the penalty spot was blocked by Guaita. Jack then again found him inside the box a minute later, but his shot having beaten Guaita then bounced back off the right-hand post back into his arms.    

Substitutes:

Ezri Konsa – 7 - Replaced Traore in the 3rd minute of first half stoppage time. Slotted seamlessly into the gap left in our central defence by the dismissal of Tyrone.  

Ahmed Elmohamady – Came on for El Ghazi on 86 minutes. Not on long enough to gather a rating.

Jacob Ramsey – Replaced Douglas on 91 minutes. Not on long enough to earn any rating.

Happy New Year to all my readers!

John Lewis

Wonderful post

[Panto_Villan]

To be honest, I'm surprised you'd see that game and not think any of our players are worth higher than an 8/10. Personally I thought almost everyone was worth a 9.

[Juju]

Martinez 7?  The only thing he didn't do yesterday, was dribble out of the penalty box, swerve past 10 outfield players and smash it in the net from 25 yards out!

His quick distribution is excellent, and I love he catches balls, doesn't try punching them. One moment he's down to collect one low and fast to his side on the floor, the next, leaping like a cat to catch 2 handed across the goal like they do in Roy of the Rovers.

Wasn't sure we needed a backup for Heaton when he was signed. Now, I can't see Heaton getting a game unless Martinez injures himself.  Best keeper I've seen at Villa park on the performances to date.

 

[maqroll]

The season is halfway over and we are within shot of first place. Why the **** not dream big, its what being a football fan is all about. We could be playing Real Madrid and AC Milan next year if we stay within striking distance of 4th place and qualify. 

UTV

[John]

12 hours ago, Panto_Villan said:

To be honest, I'm surprised you'd see that game and not think any of our players are worth higher than an 8/10. Personally I thought almost everyone was worth a 9.

Fair enough, it is all about opinions and there is not that much between an 8 & 9.   

[John]

12 hours ago, Juju said:

Martinez 7?  The only thing he didn't do yesterday, was dribble out of the penalty box, swerve past 10 outfield players and smash it in the net from 25 yards out!

His quick distribution is excellent, and I love he catches balls, doesn't try punching them. One moment he's down to collect one low and fast to his side on the floor, the next, leaping like a cat to catch 2 handed across the goal like they do in Roy of the Rovers.

Wasn't sure we needed a backup for Heaton when he was signed. Now, I can't see Heaton getting a game unless Martinez injures himself.  Best keeper I've seen at Villa park on the performances to date.

 

7 = Very good. He was close to an 8, but Palace did not quite test him enough to go higher on this occasion, for me. If he had done what you suggest above then I think I may have gone above an 8! 

I agree with what you have said about his keeping. It is early days, but he has it in him to get amongst the best that I have seen playing for Villa (Rimmer, Spink, Bossie) during his time with us.  

Edited December 28, 2020 by John

[Guest av1]

On 27/12/2020 at 15:12, John said:

 

For the first time in many a year we have a team that can go into every game, no matter where we are playing and who we are up against, with the knowledge that they will give them a proper game. Clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Spurs and Chelsea, will now no longer see games against us as ones that they can expect to take three points from, without needing to get out of second gear. They will know that they are in for a game and are up against a team that have it in them to beat anyone.

 

Great post mate. 

This bit is probably the best compliment we can give to Smith and shows what a wonderful job he has done. 

Edited December 29, 2020 by av1