Post match Villa 2 Burnley 1

[tomd2103]

Probably made it a bit harder at the end that it should have been.  Thought we could have really stepped on it when we went 2-0 up, but we dropped off it and let them back into it.

Special mention for Bogarde, who I thought was very good.

[devilla]

Hope Buendia is okay, incompetent referee.

Yes me too. That looked a definite red but that ref was awful.

[PaulWinch again]

Bogarde looks like he’s gained a yard of pace to me, he runs away from players now.

[rob_bridge]

11 days. 4 Wins. Onwards

[villadelph]

Guessand looked decent at the end too. Comfortable beating his first defender and held onto the ball well.

[Legion]

Getting better.

[eamonn]

Tedious watch, two good bits of finishing from Malen, got the job done. Three points.

Tedious? Sound like a Gooner!

[mrfuse]

Bogarde looks like he’s gained a yard of pace to me, he runs away from players now.

He had a great game, he's not spectacular but hardly puts a foot wrong and fills in nicely at the back when needed.

[Nev]

Been at Aston station for 30 mins, left before the final whistle.

We and Birmingham deserve absolutely nothing.

[amfy]

We’re now comfortably nearer to the Champions League places than the relegation zone!

[brontebilly]

As easy as a game as you could hope for after an away game on Thurs night. Burnley were awful, keeper aside. Tactically too, Parker letting Konsa and Torres particularly have as much time on the ball as he liked was odd. For us, interesting to see Malen up top with Ollie and he took his two goals superbly. Really impressed by Bogarde in midfield, he outshined Kamara. Main weakness was Digne I thought. Just not an outlet on that side anymore. Really disappointing to concede another goal in the air, brutal defending. We missed McGinn badly after he went off, as others have said we didn't get enough of a lift off the bench today. Not that it mattered.

Martinez 7 - brilliant save in first half, at his best I think he challenges for their goal in the air. Distribution is excellent these days.
Cash 7 - fine as per usual, made a hash of a routine header that eventually led to the goal.
Konsa 7 - easy street today but has to take some blame for that free header.
Torres 7 - too easy if anything, distribution was fine
Digne 6 - improved a bit second half but we need Maatsen to step up now
Kamara 7 - bit of a cruise but maybe tired after Thursday. Assist for first but not a difficult pass.
Bogarde 8 - some transformation, tactically superb always in the right spot.
McGinn 8 - excellent again on right, huge miss when he went off
Rogers 7 - finished with an assist and kept trying to do the right thing. Rhythm still a bit off
Malen 8 - two fine finishes and a threat throughout. Struggled when Ollie went off
Watkins 7 - easy street really, movement and touch were fine. Thought he should score that one before half time

Not much of a lift off the bench. None were particularly bad but we need more.

Emery 8 - big call to put Malen up top worked out very well. Faith in Bogarde was rewarded too.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

As clinical as Malen was my MOTM goes to Bogarde. A joy to watch him bring the ball forward and he operates like he's on auto-pilot, never looks troubled. Praise too for Kamara, the way both defensive midfielders work so well together is in no small part why we look so good in central defence. between the four of them it was pretty seamless.

[charlatan]

Bogarde looks like he’s gained a yard of pace to me, he runs away from players now.

Suspect it's more the confidence to try to do that sometimes rather than looking for the most basic pass every time.

[eamonn]

Annoying to concede so sloppily from a corner. They didn't have to work hard for it, the lad was all on his own.
On the plus side, I think we've only conceded once or twice from open play this season which is impressive. Decent corner from their lad Hartmann. That's Troels from The Killing (Forbrydelsen)'s son, I assume?

I loved Malen's goals, he has that far-post arrow-shot trademarked now, all of his goals seem to be that way. The emphatic strike on the second is how you see top players in confident form, finish.

I've been a bit critical of him and wondered did he have the heart to really fight for a spot but today he seemed to show he's best deployed as a second striker. Not sure how often we will play both him and Watkins together, though.

Important to get 3 points today. Something to build on, confidence and injured players gradually returning. Hopefully Youri is back for the tricky run of games after the international break.

[Goldenballs]

Agree with the praise for the Bogeyman, he looked class. Dropped in at RB well when Cash pushed up.