Aston Villa fell to a 1-0 defeat to Watford this weekend despite the heroics of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Aston Villa’s poor run of form continued as they stumbled to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of relegation-threatened Watford. The loss means Steven Gerrard’s men are now winless in their last three Premier League matches and could slide further down the league table by the end of the current round of fixtures.
As the scoreline suggests, it was a disappointing outing for Villa, who were unable to keep up with a Watford attack rejuvenated by the return of Ismaila Sarr. The Hornets looked dangerous on the counter, wisely utilising the space behind the marauding Aston Villa full-backs to create multiple goalscoring opportunities.
In response, the hosts did show a lot of endeavour going forward, notably racking up 28 attempts on goal. But they lacked the cutting edge in the final third, often struggling to make use of their half-chances in front of goal. It led to a rather comfortable outing for Ben Foster in goal, whereas his opposite number Emiliano Martinez was one of the top performers in the contest.
With all the pressure on the Villa defence, Watford found their deserved opener in the 78th minute as Emmanuel Dennis latched on to a cross from Sarr to put the ball past Martinez in goal. It was enough to seal all three points for Roy Hodgson’s men, who are now out of the bottom two and will hope to gather some much-needed momentum ahead of a potential survival charge.
Emiliano Martinez: 8/10
Emiliano Martinez was undisputedly one of the best performers on the pitch. He made a couple of extraordinary saves to keep Aston Villa in the contest, showcasing his exquisite shot-stopping abilities in the process. His save to deny Emmanuel Dennis inside the first 15 minutes might have been one of the best stops in the Premier League this year.
Matty Cash: 5/10
Matty Cash had a poor game on the right-hand side of the Aston Villa defensive line. He struggled to deal with the offensive presence of Dennis on the flank and offered very little going forward. He was subbed off midway through the second half, as Gerrard sought more freshness at right-back.
Calum Chambers: 4/10
Filling in for the suspended Ezri Konsa, Calum Chambers had difficulties containing the Watford attack. He was beaten completely by Dennis in the early stages of the proceedings, and it was followed by a series of poor defensive decisions that allowed the Hornets the opportunity to test Martinez in goal on multiple occasions.
Tyrone Mings: 6/10
Tyrone Mings was much better than Chambers when it came to showing defensive resilience. The defender offered more solidity and was more competent in duels. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to keep the Watford attack at bay, led by the exquisite trio of Dennis, Sarr and Joshua King.
Lucas Digne: 5.5/10
It was yet another disappointing display from Lucas Digne. The Frenchman was much more involved than in the last game, but he lacked the cutting edge in the final third. Perhaps more importantly, the left-back struggled to deal with the mazy runs of Ismaila Sarr, offering the Watford winger acres of space out on the flank.
Douglas Luiz: 4/10
Gerrard’s decision to start Douglas Luiz ahead of Morgan Sanson did not pay off at all. The midfielder offered very little protection in midfield and was way too susceptible to losing possession. He also had problems dealing with the intense pressing of Watford, leading to his substitution around the hour mark.
I said last month and I'll say it again, we wouldn't miss Douglas Luiz if we sold him. No assists, no goals, no defensive cover. I don't get what he does
— James (@gortavfc) February 19, 2022
John McGinn: 6/10
It was a mixed outing for John McGinn, whose ability to drive forward with the ball became useful on certain occasions. At the same time, the midfielder struggled to completely impose his dominance in the middle of the park. He wasn’t offered much support by the holding midfielder, eventually leading to Villa’s downfall.
Jacob Ramsey: 5.5/10
Jacob Ramsey showcased a lot of commitment and willingness to test the opposition keeper. However, the youngster couldn’t find the end product to beat Ben Foster in between the sticks. A rather tame performance from the Villa midfielder, who will be aiming to rekindle his form in the coming matches.
Emiliano Buendia: 6/10
Emiliano Buendia had a mixed game in the final third as he was quite influential in the earlier stages of the game. In fact, he was the creator-in-chief for the hosts in the first half, carving out a few opportunities for Danny Ings before eventually becoming subdued after the restart. He was subbed off during the final phase of the game.
Philippe Coutinho: 5/10
Philippe Coutinho wasn’t able to unleash his true potential against Watford, largely thanks to an excellent display of defending by Roy Hodgson’s men. Other than a few efforts on goal which were off target and a couple of dribbles, the Brazilian couldn’t conjure up anything substantial in the final third.
Danny Ings: 5/10
Starting ahead of Ollie Watkins, Danny Ings put in a good shift in the number nine position, often getting into good scoring areas. Unfortunately, his scoring boots were missing once again as his poor run since joining Aston Villa in the summer continued.
This is on Gerrard 100%. Refuses to change the side or bring Sanson in and takes off Luiz. Danny Ings vanishes yet again.
— Will Davies (@wilsterdavies1) February 19, 2022
Substitutes
Ollie Watkins: 5/10
Ollie Watkins replaced Luiz around the hour mark to offer more attacking impetus. He was a threat inside the box, but the former Brentford man struggled to provide anything substantial.
Ashley Young: 4/10
Gerrard’s decision to bring on Ashley Young in the second half turned out to be a disaster, as the veteran defender couldn’t keep hold of Dennis inside the box as Aston Villa eventually conceded the winner in the 78th minute.
Leon Bailey: 5/10
Leon Bailey made a late appearance by replacing Buendia in the 71st minute. The winger wasn’t able to make much of a difference though.
