Post match positivity (Arsenal H)

[rob_bridge]

Onana wasn’t that effective. Drifted in and out.  Seemed to be where the ball wasn’t a lot of the time.  Let’s hope he is not a one in ten games player.   

You are on about Andre Onana, aren't you?

Must be the ManU keeper against Brighton who I thought played pretty well. Is there a 3rd high profile one somewhere.

The Villa Onana bossed Rice who was unusually ineffective. Should have been at least one more booking against him too.

[astonvilla82]

Onana wasn’t that effective. Drifted in and out.  Seemed to be where the ball wasn’t a lot of the time.  Let’s hope he is not a one in ten games player.

Been here five minutes give him a chance

[VillaTim]

At the level we are now challenging at it's a really hard one to take. Never felt in control but I think we were happy to surrender possession and hit on the counter . You have to take those chances though. The defending for both goals was poor . It's very early days though. Big reaction next week hopefully.

[Demitri_C]

Onana wasn’t that effective. Drifted in and out.  Seemed to be where the ball wasn’t a lot of the time.  Let’s hope he is not a one in ten games player.

Tbh onanas one player i wouldnt criticise  after yesterday.  The main reason we lost because was mainly because of watkins. Not just the misses but his overall performance was so poor. It was like playing with 10 men.

Not sure why he is so unfit when palmer had exactly the same pre season and circumstances as ollie and he has looked good in both his games.  Just hope he is far better for leicester.if he plays that badly again in the next game he shouldnt be starting and duran given a start

[VillaTim]

McGinn was a bit of a passenger too (not to OW level) , when he's on it he's superb but he has these days where he seems 90%. Doesn't look razor match sharp yet, understandable.

[edgysatsuma89]

Onana wasn’t that effective. Drifted in and out.  Seemed to be where the ball wasn’t a lot of the time.  Let’s hope he is not a one in ten games player.   

You are on about Andre Onana, aren't you?

I think it's wild how some people see the same game THAT differently.

[Villatillidie25]

Onana wasn’t that effective. Drifted in and out.  Seemed to be where the ball wasn’t a lot of the time.  Let’s hope he is not a one in ten games player.   

You are on about Andre Onana, aren't you?

I think it's wild how some people see the same game THAT differently.

It’s what makes football interesting though isn’t it 😀. I thought Onana was a bit quiet to start with but massively grew into the game so, I guess, somewhere between the first 2 posts!

[OCD]

McGinn and Watkins are getting criticized for what they did on the ball, but their mid-block stifled Arsenal, and when they pressed, they pressed in numbers. The way McGinn, Watkins, Rogers and Bailey all went together, resulting in Bailey dispossessing their centre back and Rogers playing Watkins in was a thing of beauty. Just a shame Ollie blew it. That press will catch teams out.

[ChicagoLion]

McGinn and Watkins are getting criticized for what they did on the ball, but their mid-block stifled Arsenal, and when they pressed, they pressed in numbers. The way McGinn, Watkins, Rogers and Bailey all went together, resulting in Bailey dispossessing their centre back and Rogers playing Watkins in was a thing of beauty. Just a shame Ollie blew it. That press will catch teams out.

It was a shocker of a miss, that was the game.

[Ads]

McGinn and Watkins are getting criticized for what they did on the ball, but their mid-block stifled Arsenal, and when they pressed, they pressed in numbers. The way McGinn, Watkins, Rogers and Bailey all went together, resulting in Bailey dispossessing their centre back and Rogers playing Watkins in was a thing of beauty. Just a shame Ollie blew it. That press will catch teams out.

We're an extremely well coached side, way above and beyond what others can achieve. The details and the discipline are extraordinary. Ollie has to score though, he does, then all that off the ball work will come to fruition.

[cdward]

Still annoyed we lost that game.
We should have taken the lead, scored a second and not conceded at least one of their goals.
Oh well, lot's of positives. UTV

[SaddVillan]

From The Athletic - a really insightful review of  Saturday’s game.

ASTON VILLA AND ARSENAL’S MATCHES HAVE BECOME A MEETING OF CHESS GRANDMASTERS

It was fitting that Morgan Rogers likened the meeting of minds between Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta to a game of chess.

Tactical moves, advances, retreats and the constant sense of predicting the next step have been the themes of their four meetings. Akin to the setups of each manager, fixated on overloading central areas and condensing the pitch, the longer chess goes on, the more congested it gets, with the pieces mixed between one another.

In these overcrowded moments, the winner is then determined by who can set up the decisive move clearly.

Aston Villa and Arsenal tend to suffer through the same areas of the pitch when they play each other. Villa’s two victories last season were close tussles, defined by missed chances and ruthless finishing. As Emery would say, the same transpired here in Arsenal’s 2-0 win.

Villa’s success has been through breaking Arsenal’s press and using their powerful forward runners. John McGinn’s goal in the same fixture last season was the blueprint and then at the Emirates, when Rogers was introduced onto the wider stage with his ball-carrying ability, Villa won 2-0 — the only time Arsenal have lost in the Premier League this year.

When Arsenal’s press and counter-press worked and could grind through possession, Villa were the ones who suffered. “That’s what football is about,” said Rogers. “It’s chess, it’s two top managers trying to combat each other and that’s what it was. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that end bit.”

On the balance of the play, Arsenal probably deserved more than nothing last season and the inverse was true at Villa Park on Saturday evening, decided by the host’s profligacy and conceding at a stage when Arsenal were stumbling. Arteta agreed “100 per cent” that the contrast in efficiency was the determining influence.

Tactically, Emery always wants his side to possess the ball deep, baiting forwards into pressing before directly attacking the space vacated, in some ways manufacturing transitions and counter-attacking opportunities.

Opponents, including Arsenal, have destabilised Villa’s approach by pressing higher — making the match-ups between Arteta and Emery dependent on how many transitions Villa can generate and, equally, how effective Arsenal are in regaining possession or keeping the ball. Whoever has the edge, naturally, will then have chances in front of goal.

Arsenal exerted control from the outset. Jurrien Timber drifted from left-back into midfield and Arsenal formed a 3-2-5 shape with the ball, designed to create superiority in midfield and, crucially, knowing Villa station two ball-carrying attacking midfielders — Rogers and McGinn — have players close enough to counter-press if a pass went astray.

Until Ollie Watkins’ first gilt-edged miss, Villa had few opportunities to break. Gabriel and William Saliba were content in defending one-v-one against Watkins and Leon Bailey, with Villa scrappy in possession and unable to escape Arsenal’s press. Emery jumped up and down when Pau Torres passed into the middle of nowhere and when Bailey’s attempt of a through ball was easily cut out.

Bailey soon atoned by initiating the opportunity for Watkins. He picked the pockets of Gabriel before Rogers slid the ball across to the England forward, spare inside the box. A finish symptomatic of a rushed pre-season and general rustiness, Watkins snatched at the strike, sweeping his effort past the post.

Even if recent history suggested wastefulness can come back to bite, Watkins’ miss lit a spark. Rogers, who Emery says is adding “tactical” variation, started to drive his team forward and, as is becoming his USP, made it difficult for any opponent to shrug him off the ball. Declan Rice was booked for a foul on Rogers and David Raya managed to scramble away his low shot-cum-cross.

Villa hoped history was repeating itself. Arsenal, as they did at the Emirates last season, started the better but were now toiling to close the widening spaces between the lines. Timber was forced to defend one-v-one against Bailey from left-back as opposed to being in midfield and Villa’s cohort of powerful runners — Amadou Onana, Bailey, Rogers and McGinn — were cutting through.

Villa were enthralling, driving towards the Holte End. They bravely invited pressure before playing one-twos, flicking balls around corners and making third-man runs to pull Arsenal’s shape apart. Arteta referred to the period after half-time as those “10 to 12 minutes” when Villa were winning the individual battles.

“When you lose the ball and you counter-press, they break that press,” said Arteta. “They are really dangerous. They have a lot of legs, can carry the ball, have runners between centre-backs and full-backs. They have a threat. They make us suffer in open spaces. McGinn and Rogers are really good at holding the ball up and turning your press.”

Watkins’ second miss swung the dial again.  From a diving header, unmarked and a matter of yards away, Watkins could not crank his neck far enough to guide the ball beyond Raya.

Three of the four matches between Arteta and Emery have been won by two-goal margins, belying how fine the margins have been in those games. Each one has left the losing team with regret. Watkins’ second miss, this time, was the moment Villa rued.

Leandro Trossard scored with his first touch and Arsenal’s first shot of any kind in the second half, sapping Villa of all momentum. Having done the double against Arsenal last season, maybe it was time for Villa to be checkmated, even if this was not a defeat to be discouraged by.

“How we faced Arsenal today is the way I want,” said Emery. “We have to be clinical, but more or less tactically, we had more control in the second half, yet they scored two goals. It was very similar to last year. How we played, how we faced them, how we performed… we could have won today.”

[Tuscans]

Aston Villa defender Matty Cash is set to miss a month of action with a hamstring injury. #AVFC

[brontebilly]

McGinn was a bit of a passenger too (not to OW level) , when he's on it he's superb but he has these days where he seems 90%. Doesn't look razor match sharp yet, understandable.

Was a mistake to take him off for me, thought he was taken off too early in the first game too. Bailey hasn't been on it so far, would much prefer McGinn over there where his bum dance can tie up full backs cutting in.