Aston Villa have started the season in the flying fashion they ended the last with Emery’s side again proving ones to watch across Europe’s top five leagues.
However, after capitulation against Spurs, are there worrying signs for the team moving forward into the busiest period of the season.
However, after capitulation against Spurs, are there worrying signs for the team moving forward into the busiest period of the season.
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00:00You were there at the Spurs ground. What was the take from that game? Was there some concern
00:09how they capitulated completely? Spurs do have that in them, obviously with some inconsistency
00:16at times, but they do have that in them to go and really hurt teams with their fierce
00:20attack and their relentless high pressure and the way they sit high up the pitch. But
00:26what was Emre's reaction to that loss? I think there was a lot of concern from the
00:32fan base and rightfully so to be honest, because they did capitulate in that second half. In
00:37the first half it was very even Stevens, not really many chances on either end and Morgan
00:41Rodgers scoring that opening goal from the only shot on target of the entire half. You
00:46go into the second half thinking, OK, we just need to hold on to this now, sit deep, be
00:49patient, just as they were in the first half. But they looked completely different, Villa.
00:53They didn't have any real concentration. It only took four minutes for Brennan Johnson
00:57to equalise. And then there was an injury for Matty Cash, went off with a calf problem.
01:02Diego Carlos came on, Ezra Combs had moved over to right back. And the whole shape of
01:06the back line just went completely. The offside trap was really effective before that point.
01:12Suddenly that went out the window. On the overlap with Richarlison coming on for Youngmin
01:16Son. Son having the first cross as well for the Brennan Johnson goal. Just so open in
01:22behind. I know Villa like to play a high line and it's risky at times, but it normally
01:26works with that offside trap. It just didn't in that second half at Spurs. Carlos out of
01:31position for the second and third Spurs goals. And then for the fourth, James Maddison's
01:36free kick. He gave away that free kick in a very dangerous area. So a pretty terrible
01:40performance off the bench from Carlos. He's been very inconsistent, sometimes brilliant,
01:45sometimes terrible. I think Villa will be a little bit concerned that someone like Matty
01:49Cash, he's not the best player at the club, is he? Him coming off. How can it have such
01:52an impact? Well, it did. And it cost a defeat at Tottenham.
01:56Yeah, just a bit of a look at their fixtures coming up. A few Champions League games and
02:01Liverpool, you know, Crystal Palace, obviously at home, but then Chelsea away as well in
02:06that time frame. The fixtures aren't going to get easier right now for Villa. It's important
02:10they respond.
02:12It is important. The club bruised one away in the Champions League. There's not as much
02:16pressure on that, having started so well. Three wins out of three, but they want to
02:20continue that. If they can make it four wins out of four, that'll make it take off the
02:24pressure so much later on in that Champions League campaign. You're not guaranteeing top
02:28eight with that by any means, but you're pretty much secured into the playoff positions. And
02:32then you can look on to maybe qualify in the top eight from that point after. And then
02:36Crystal Palace at home. Well, you'd think really a winnable game there, but Palace came
02:41to Villa Park in the cup and they won. That was a bit of a surprise result. Could they
02:45try and do it again, replicate their game plan, switch things up? They can be a banana
02:48skin team. We've seen that in the past. So of course, at the end of last season as well,
02:525-0 thrashing away at Selhurst Park. I don't think Unai Emery would be looking forward
02:56to that one at all.