With Aston Villa served up a relatively soft start to the season in terms of fixtures, they were hoping to get out of the blocks swiftly, but against Brentford, they were blunted by a team, that had lost key players over the summer and are now coached by their set piece coach. Still, here’s the latest five reasons to be cheerful as Villans.
The Defence is Actually OK?
Aston Villa may be sitting 17th in the Premier League at the moment, but let’s clutch at a few straws. Only Arsenal and Spurs – currently occupying the top two spots – have conceded fewer goals. If it weren’t for the odd calamitous error at the back, you could almost call that an encouraging sign, when you factor in Villa have seven clean sheets in their last 12 league games.
Add to that Villa’s unbeaten run at Villa Park, which now stretches over a year, and there are still some solid foundations to build on – despite a sluggish start to the season.
Still Number One
After the waterworks at Villa Park and the kamikaze antics at Old Trafford, few would have been surprised if Emi Martinez had moved on this summer. But the talismanic keeper remains between the sticks. The arrival of a legitimate number two in Marco Bizot should help keep him sharp and focused for the season ahead.
Hopefully, Martinez can help solidify and continue the tentative improvement in Villa’s backline and provide the platform needed to realise his ambition of winning silverware with Villa this season.
Champions League Backdoor
Judging by Villa’s first two league performances of the season, that break-glass-in-case-of-emergency Champions League route – also known as the Europa League – might be needed. It may also represent Emi Martinez’s best shot at finally lifting silverware in claret and blue.
This Friday brings the draw for the league stage. The away trips could be trickier to reach, and the home fixtures certainly won’t carry the same glamour as last season’s European run – but the competition could still prove pivotal in shaping Villa’s campaign.
Unai Emery may have fumbled the Conference League and FA Cup semi-finals in recent seasons, but the Europa League is his domain – with four trophies already on his CV. If Villa do go deep, could their Premier League form suffer, as it did for Spurs and Manchester United last season? Possibly. But if Emery lands a fifth Europa crown, few will complain.
Another One – Villa PFA Young Player of the Year
Morgan Rogers joins an elite list of Aston Villa players to have won the PFA Young Player of the Year award. He follows in the footsteps of Andy Gray (1977), Gary Shaw (1981), Ashley Young (2009), and James Milner (2010).
After a strong start at Villa — including a Champions League hat-trick against Celtic and a senior England call-up – expectations will naturally rise. Rogers will be under pressure to push on from last season, especially as you can’t help but feel he may have a big role to play in injecting fresh impetus into a team that’s searching for a new spark.
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Crooked Kamara
When Boubacar Kamara limped off after just 15 minutes against Brentford, it looked worryingly like his annual injury had struck – the one that usually sees him miss at least a third of the season. Naturally, he’d just signed a new contract, so it felt inevitable. Thankfully, reports suggest the French midfielder will only be sidelined for two to three weeks by his hamstring injury. While he’ll miss the upcoming match against Crystal Palace, the impending international break should hopefully absorb most of that absence.
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