FA Cup news: Five talking points from Aston Villa’s 2-1 win over Tottenham
Aston Villa made light work of Tottenham in a 2-1 victory at Villa Park on Sunday night to advance to the FA Cup fifth round.
Unai Emery’s side have had a topsy-turvy season so far, performing well in Europe while finding the going tough in the Premier League.
Spurs, in contrast, are having a nightmare campaign, one that has left manager Ange Postecoglou clinging to his job.
Sports News Blitz writer Harrison Pearce considers five key talking points from the game.
January signings impress at Villa Park
New signing Donyell Malen entered this game with a point to prove, having been left out of the Champions League squad and with Marcus Rashford breathing down his neck for a starting position.
He duly delivered, offering pace and runs in behind while getting a handful of dangerous shots off. The Dutch striker could not have done much more, to be honest, and probably secured a starting berth for at least a few weeks in the process.
Likewise, the two star loanees made brilliant cameos off the bench in the second half.
Rashford occupied the left-hand side well, picking the ball up from deep and taking players on in a positive rebuttal of criticism that he does not work hard enough at times. Whether or not he can keep that attitude going for the rest of the season remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, three-time Champions League winner Marco Asensio instantly impressed with his cute touches, tight flicks, and neat tricks. The Spaniard's link-up play with teammates made it look as if he had been playing in Birmingham for years, which is sure to please the gaffer.
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Injury worries for Emery
Ezri Konsa started the game against Spurs in a centre-back pairing with Boubacar Kamara.
However, the Englishman had to be subbed off after just 27 minutes of action due to rolling his ankle and will now be sidelined for a period.
With Tyrone Mings out until mid-February and Pau Torres unavailable until March, an injury to Konsa was the last thing that Villa needed.
To make matters worse, new loan signing Axel Disasi is cup-tied having played for Chelsea earlier in the competition, meaning that Emery now has the beginnings of an injury crisis to deal with.
Villa’s midfield dominance
On Sunday, Villa lined up with John McGinn and Youri Tielemans in central midfield, a combo not known for its defensive presence.
Any concerns proved wide of the mark, though, as both players made up for their lack of height in hard-hitting tackles and aerial duels.
The two wingers – Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey – also played fantastically, with the latter breaking the deadlock in the 50th minute.
Bailey, on the other hand, seemed to strike up a fruitful partnership with new right-back Andres Garcia, repeatedly cutting in behind the Spaniard’s overlapping runs in order to free up space for the shot.
Villa’s midfield dominance further allowed someone like Rashford to come on and play with less pressure on his shoulders.
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Hosts dig deep to secure win
Strangely enough, the biggest test for Emery’s side on the day was probably the act of seeing the game out with a narrow lead.
Villa could so easily have crumbled right at the death when Mathys Tel finally pulled a goal back for Spurs, but they showed hunger and desire to survive a tense last five minutes.
For a team that so often contrives to make it hard on themselves, in true Aston Villa fashion, they certainly brought the steel to make up for it this time.
FA Cup title awaits Villans
At the end of the day, Villa are through to the fifth round, which is all that really matters in knockout footie.
Regardless of who they are drawn to face next, it will be a great opportunity to take another step towards a possible trophy.
Emery is also likely to take the FA Cup seriously on account of it being an avenue into European football for next season.
Plus, with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea already knocked out of the cup, a hypothetical march to the final is that little bit easier.
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