Aston Villa are making up for their poor start to the season as they target a sixth win in a row on Thursday night
Our dedicated Aston Villa reporter is always on the pulse of all things claret and blue, from major talking points to transfer news to match action, John Townley will bring you the very latest from Bodymoor Heath and Villa Park.
Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara
Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Aston Villa turn their attention back to the Europa League after beating Tottenham 2-1 in the capital on Sunday.
Unai Emery’s side have now won their last five matches in all competitions and will be expected to make it six in a row on Thursday night against Go Ahead Eagles.
Villa’s turnaround in form has been stark, considering it took until the seventh match of the campaign for the club to earn their first win — which came against Bologna.
From an individual perspective, one of last season’s standout players, Morgan Rogers, is also showing encouraging signs that he is returning to his best, having scored a stunner against Spurs at the weekend.
Daunting run turns into opportunity
It’s funny how perceptions and expectations of a team can shift. Just a few weeks ago, we were talking about the failure to beat Sunderland as the low point of Emery’s tenure.
In context, it was yet another game in which Villa failed to win, giving up a one-goal lead against 10 men at the Stadium of Light.
A battling win over Bologna was desperately needed, before successive home victories against Fulham and Burnley came either side of the win at Feyenoord.
Winning at De Kuip was an excellent result in Europe, but beating Spurs was Villa’s first statement result of the campaign.
Manchester City, Liverpool, and Bournemouth are Villa’s next three league opponents — all huge tests for Emery’s side.
City and Bournemouth head to Villa Park, while Villa travel to Anfield to face Liverpool. But while only Crystal Palace have beaten Villa at B6 in well over a year, this weekend’s game will be a stern challenge for Pep Guardiola’s side too.
There’s plenty of football to be played before the Cherries visit Villa Park ahead of the November international break, though Bournemouth have shipped nine goals in four away league games this term — against Liverpool, Tottenham, Leeds, and Crystal Palace.
As for Liverpool, they’re in something of a crisis considering the standards they set last season. The Reds have lost four consecutive matches across all competitions for the first time since November 2014, and three Premier League games in a row for the first time since February 2021.
So, what once appeared to be a daunting run can now be seen as an opportunity — and what better way to head into those matches than on the back of five straight wins?
Before thinking ahead, Villa must focus on Go Ahead Eagles. Maccabi Tel Aviv at home follows soon after — that match falls between Villa’s trip to Anfield and the game against Bournemouth.
Villa will be targeting two wins in their next couple of European fixtures, hopefully adding to the feel-good momentum currently around the club.
Torres provides reminder in winning run
Pau Torres’ return to the starting XI has been key to Villa’s upturn in form.
The Spaniard has started four of the club’s last five matches and even played an hour against Fulham after replacing Tyrone Mings in that particular fixture.
With Youri Tielemans injured, Torres’ passing and progression have been invaluable. In the last five matches, he has played 24 passes into the final third.
It’s no coincidence that Torres’ run in the team has coincided with improved results — especially considering how poor Villa were at moving the ball through the thirds earlier in the season.
Mings could return from injury on Thursday, having been sidelined with an ankle issue over the international break, but he’ll face a battle to reclaim his place.
That’s the benefit of having a deep squad — as Villa showed in the second half of last season when Emery could tailor game plans, keep opponents guessing, and manage injury risks effectively.
What we learned about Malen
Ollie Watkins may lead the line against Go Ahead Eagles after coming off the bench to great effect against Spurs last weekend.
Excellent in the 30 minutes he played, Watkins changed the flow of the game and gave Villa a new dynamic in the final third.
Running the channels and occupying the centre-backs allowed Villa to sustain attacks and go more direct in the latter stages.
Donyell Malen started instead of Watkins — who was only fit enough for the bench — but struggled to make an impact.
That’s not a slight on the forward, but what we’ve learned from Villa’s last two matches is that his best role is to dovetail with Watkins, rather than replace him.
Watkins proved on Sunday just how much he offers both in and out of possession. He doesn’t need to score to make an impact.
Malen struggled to get involved, preferring to operate differently from Watkins, but he did show his quality against Burnley — benefiting from the space created by Watkins’ movement.
Villa's best piece of summer business
Tremendous once again at the weekend, I wrote in my player ratings that I’ve run out of superlatives for Boubacar Kamara.
It’s no exaggeration to say that he is one of the best in Europe in his role — capable of breaking up play and distributing effectively. And that only covers part of his game. He offers so much more, making him a top-tier midfielder.
Securing his future with a new long-term deal was an excellent piece of business for Villa — arguably the best they could have done last summer given the financial restraints they were under.
Upgrading the back-up goalkeeper was also an important task over the summer, but missing out on the Champions League made it even more crucial to keep Kamara at the club and extend his deal.
What has been key to Villa's turnaround? Tell us here
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