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aston villa Missed a great opportunity to overtake Manchester City Premier League Yesterday, the team drew 1-1 away from Bournemouth.
Morgan Rogers for Unai EmeryAs for the team, it was not enough to ensure that Vitality took all three points. Rayan’s shot secured a point for the home team.
The result leaves Villa level on points with Pep Guardiola’s side ahead of today’s clash with Liverpool, but it is undoubtedly another missed opportunity for Emery and his side.
Now that they have failed to win in their last two top-flight games, they have to be wary and United are now on a four-game winning streak.
However, the reasons for their failure to take all three points were manifold, with multiple players drafted from the start failing to live up to the south coast’s expectations.
Aston Villa performs poorly against Bournemouth
Left-back Lucas Digne returned to the starting XI after missing last week’s game against Brentford, but it was an afternoon to forget for the defender.
He completed just 33% of his crosses while being unable to create any chances for his teammates – demonstrating his struggles in the final third.
The Frenchman also dribbled past opponents three times but was intercepted only once and was unable to stop Rayang from entering the penalty area, resulting in Unai Emery’s side taking all three points.
However, Digne was not the only one who failed to deliver on his promise, with striker Ollie Watkins once again struggling to help in Villa’s final third.
The Englishman failed to score for the second consecutive game while managing just one shot – once again highlighting his struggles in front of goal.
He also committed four fouls while failing to complete any dribble he attempted, again demonstrating his lack of positive impact when the ball found him in the forward area.
The Villa star was saved by Rodgers against Bournemouth
Villa failed to score more than one goal for the fourth time in their last five Premier League games, which may be a factor in their recent dip in form.
Emery’s side are not the most prolific goal scorers this season, with just 36 goals to their name, third in the top ten in the division.
Rodgers’ goal yesterday took him to eight league goals this season, moving him level with Watkins, who is having the season of his life in front of goal.
His goal at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday was another example of the quality he possesses, and it’s unimaginable what the team would be like without his constant threat in the final third.
However, the same cannot be said for fellow attackers Amy Buendiathe Argentinian is now trying to emulate some of his festive form.
The 29-year-old scored one of the club’s most important goals of the season against Arsenal in December but has only scored one league goal since then.
Like Rodgers, he started again against the Cherries but was unable to make the most of the opportunities Emery gave him.
He played a total of 66 minutes before being substituted, with the winger even picking up a yellow card for his troubles after just 35 minutes of play.
|
Emi Buendia – Statistics against Bournemouth |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
consistent |
|
Minutes played |
66 |
|
touch |
41 |
|
Pass accuracy |
79% |
|
Dribbling completed |
0 |
|
lose possession of the ball |
12x |
|
foul |
1 |
|
duel failed |
75% |
|
Create opportunities |
1 |
However, he was equally lackluster in possession, conceding the ball 12 times – one of the most by a Villa player.
He also completed just 79% of his passes while failing to complete any of his dribbling attempts – a sign of the poor quality of the ball at his feet.
Buendia’s woes were compounded by the fact that he created just one chance, while losing 75% of the duels he took part in – before being dominated by his opponents at the Vitality Stadium.
After such a performance, Emery will no doubt consider other ways to replace the Argentinian to help increase their chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
Buendia has been an impressive option for the team in a number of games, but his performance against Bournemouth yesterday was just another example of why he’s not performing at the level he needs to succeed.
