Aston Villa eventually saw off RB Leipzig in a 3-2 win in our Champions League clash on Tuesday night, with Ross Barkley proving to be the match-winner.
Villa twice led after goals from John McGinn and Jhon Duran, but the hosts made the most of our defensive errors to draw level on both occasions.
READ MORE: Villa player ratings vs RB Leipzig: Barkley seals thrilling win
Fortunately, there was no third equaliser as Barkley’s late deflected effort split the two sides, and so it’s a crucial win in our bid to try and qualify for the knockout stage without going through the playoff round.
Villa have now taken 13 points from our opening six games, which in turn leaves us in third place in the league standings for the time being, and so it’s another important step towards achieving our first objective in Europe.
Defensive concerns continue to linger
Looking at the negative first, our defensive issues almost cost us again in this game as both goals were avoidable and came from frustrating individual mistakes.
Emiliano Martinez will know he should have done better as he was hesitant and indecisive on both occasions, while Diego Carlos and the back three needed to be sharper and more organised too.
Villa dominated this game and looked in control for large periods, but that won’t consistently lead to positive results if we don’t defend better than this, and certainly not at this level where we will get punished more often than not.
Much more positive in our attacking play
In contrast, our attacking play was a joy to watch at times, as we popped the ball around with tempo and sharpness, while our movement off the ball was excellent as we exploited space.
There was a fluidity and rhythm to our play that has been missing for a while, and so it’s hoped that we can find consistency with that again, as not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it’s very effective.
While we looked disciplined and organised in our work out of possession, we had energy and intensity when we regained it, and that was a really big positive from Tuesday night as well as the result, although our finishing could still improve as we didn’t convert a number of big chances.
Emery’s tactical switch makes all the difference
The Villa boss opted to go with a back three for this one, with Matty Cash and Lucas Digne pushed up to stretch the pitch and give us width.
It worked brilliantly, particularly in the first half, as we started positively and with confidence, and RB Leipzig seemingly found it difficult to adjust and cope with what we were doing.
We needed something fresh despite having secured consecutive wins in the Premier League over the past week, and Emery’s game-plan and preparation for this particular game was spot on and gives a new dynamic that can be built on.
Substitutes prove decisive once again
As we’ve seen throughout the campaign thus far, our strength in depth and ability to bring on quality from the bench to change games has been a major positive.
From Duran and Barkley scoring, to Kosta Nedeljkovic getting a rare run-out to add fresh legs along with Emiliano Buendia and Ian Maatsen, Emery’s tactical set-up and personnel changes were crucial.
That’s only part of it though as the players have to come on and make the impact by showing the right mentality and attitude, and we’re certainly getting that from everyone.
Fundamental win as our good form continues
Having got back on track domestically, this was a huge boost to get back to winning ways in Europe too, as it helps build our momentum and brings back confidence and belief in the group.
Having come through a really sticky patch where we failed to win in eight games across all competitions, it’s been a refreshing return to the norm under Emery as we’ve rattled off important wins, and it’s hoped that it’s just the start of a significant run this month.
We’ve put ourselves back in a great position both in the Premier League and Champions League, and there is a sense that we’re returning to our previous levels in terms of performance, albeit with obvious areas of improvement that still need to be addressed.