Premier League hits and misses: Do Aston Villa endure with European hangovers?

European fatigue for Villa?

It might be simple to elucidate away Villa’s lack of two factors late within the recreation in opposition to Bournemouth as a consequence of Champions League fatigue, this consequence coming quickly after one other dwelling draw that adopted their win over Bayern Munich in Europe.

Emery did acknowledge that Morgan Rogers’ withdrawal could have been linked to the calls for of the fixture checklist however wouldn’t settle for such excuses for the equaliser. He put it all the way down to the training curve his staff is on. They misplaced management of this recreation late on.

“There is still work to do because we are trying to get a strong mentality, tactically and emotionally. We did not control it. This is something we have to learn,” Emery mentioned.

Ross Barkley knew what he was doing when lunging in desperately to cease a Bournemouth assault with simply seconds on the clock, however it didn’t require hindsight to assume it was the mistaken name. A much less determined participant would have remained calm.

As a substitute, the free-kick that he conceded allowed another ball to be curled into the Villa field – Marcus Tavernier well aiming for the close to put up to stop Emiliano Martinez from claiming it. Minor particulars. Exactly the form of element that may frustrate Emery.
Adam Bate

Savinho takes accountability

Savinho appears to be like like he is been taking part in for this Manchester Metropolis staff for years.

Nevertheless, this was simply his sixth begin for Pep Guardiola. With absentees like Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish, the inventive output was on the shoulders of Savinho and he delivered one other slick and decisive efficiency.

No participant created extra possibilities (5) however the actual attention-grabbing metric was the quantity of touches he had within the Southampton field. That determine was 17 – three greater than the whole Southampton staff managed in the entire 90 minutes.

Solely two gamers this season have had extra in a recreation, showcasing simply how a lot Savinho is demanding the ball and the way assured his team-mates are at offering him with the service.
Lewis Jones

Extra ahead line frustration for Fulham

After an unbeaten begin to the marketing campaign, Fulham have now gone three Premier League matches with out a win. An incapacity to complete possibilities has price them in each encounter.

At Manchester Metropolis, Adama Traore had three huge possibilities however walked away with no objectives as Fulham have been overwhelmed 3-1. Final weekend’s loss to Aston Villa noticed the sport hinge on Andreas Pereira’s missed penalty, which might have modified the course of the sport had it been transformed.

And now in opposition to Everton, Fulham missed probability after probability as they let the Toffees off the hook. Even earlier than Alex Iwobi’s opener, they managed an Anticipated Objectives tally of 1.0xG. They need to have put the Toffees out of sight.

If video games have been determined by xG, Fulham can be prime of the Premier League this night. They’ve that capacity to regulate video games and create stress, particularly from direct runners and exact crossing capacity.

However regardless of Raul Jimenez, Emile Smith Rowe and Adama Traore being glorious creators, there aren’t sufficient objectives on this Fulham staff. Jimenez leads the best way with 4 objectives however Smith Rowe and Iwobi are the one different gamers in Marco Silva’s facet with a couple of.

With Brentford, Crystal Palace and Wolves of their subsequent three video games forward of a tough December, Fulham must kind their capturing boots out.
Sam Blitz

Lewis-Potter ‘sparks’ Brentford comeback and victory

​​​​​​Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo’s performances will dominate the headlines as they starred in Brentford’s dramatic 4-3 victory in opposition to Ipswich, however Keane Lewis-Potter was the architect behind the win.

The ahead was concerned in the whole lot constructive his facet mustered, together with profitable the penalty earlier than then luring Harry Clarke right into a second yellow card after troubling him all match lengthy.

Talking after the sport, Brentford boss Thomas Frank mentioned the 23-year-old loved his finest recreation for the Bees after his rampant show.

“He sparked the comeback,” Frank mentioned.

“He created the penalty, the red card, [he was] constantly going forward and driving forward, taking the players on. I’m very pleased with his performance.”

Lewis-Potter was making his seventh begin of the season and his affect throughout the Brentford facet is rising. It appears solely a matter of time earlier than his business is rewarded with the numbers it deserves.
William Bitibiri

Prime 10 should not be top of Forest ambitions

Three years in the past right now, Nottingham Forest have been sixteenth within the Championship underneath Steve Cooper. They entered the weekend fifth within the Premier League with Chris Wooden the second-top scorer.

Apart from the immovable Ryan Yates, the one different remnant of that Forest promotion-winning facet was within the dwelling dugout on the King Energy Stadium. As for Wooden, who moved stage with Stan Collymore as Forest’s second-highest all-time Premier League goalscorer on 22 objectives, his significance can’t be overstated.

Seventeen of these strikes have come since final Christmas Day, with solely Erling Haaland having scored extra non-penalty objectives in that point. Yates, who scored the opener on his one hundred and fiftieth league begin for Forest, described the primary half as “like a basketball match”, however Nuno Espirito Santo made a slight tactical tweak on the break to nullify Leicester’s field midfield.

Wooden’s class was the distinction however Forest collectively took the sport by the scruff of the neck and have now taken 11 factors from their opening 5 away league video games. A top-half end – even at this stage – should not be the peak of their ambitions.
Ben Grounds

Travers steps up for Bournemouth

Kepa Arrizabalaga’s damage offered a chance for Mark Travers to make solely his second look of the season, the earlier coming when the on-loan Chelsea goalkeeper was ineligible to face his father or mother membership. He responded with a player-of-the-match efficiency within the Cherries’ draw at Aston Villa.

“He played fantastic today. He saved them, clearly,” mentioned Villa boss Unai Emery.

The save to disclaim Amadou Onana within the first half was excellent and whereas the stops to disclaim Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins might need been anticipated, they have been a testomony to his agility – and his readiness to grab his alternative. The Bournemouth supporters chanted his title.

“He kept us in the game in some difficult moments,” agreed Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola afterwards. “Kepa had a small injury, his left adductor, he could not kick the ball properly, and it did not make sense to take a risk when we have two goalkeepers.” Particularly one as succesful as Travers.
Adam Bate

Wolves enter essential fixture interval with confidence

Right here we go once more, thought Gary O’Neil. The Wolves supervisor was getting ready himself to reply extra “tough questions” after Brighton scored their second within the eighty fifth minute.

Ten minutes later, and he was heading into his post-match interviews with a spring in his step after an inconceivable level was rescued, declaring: “We’ll definitely be fine this season”.

“My main thing around today is how deep they’ve had to dig to achieve something here today,” he mentioned.

“Not just because we’re 2-0 down, but we’re 2-0 down and we’ve not won a game yet and they’ve still managed to find a way.”

Wolves deserved a minimum of a degree in opposition to Brighton like they did final week in defeat to Manchester Metropolis. Their performances are turning forward of a vital interval when their fixtures ease with conferences in opposition to Crystal Palace, Southampton, Fulham, Bournemouth, Everton, West Ham, Ipswich and Leicester.
David Richardson