The Unai Emery revolution continues at Aston Villa, with the Spaniard guiding his side into the quarter-final of the Europa Conference League courtesy of a thumping 4-0 win over Eredivisie giants Ajax on Thursday evening.
With the tie finely poised following the goalless draw away in Amsterdam last week, the Villans took control of proceedings in the early stages, with red-hot marksman Ollie Watkins bagging his 22nd goal in all competitions – and his sixth in Europe this season – inside 25 minutes.
Despite subsequently losing the England international to injury, the hosts – who were no doubt aided by Sivert Mannsverk's second-half dismissal – utilised their man advantage to brutal effect, with goals from Leon Bailey, John Duran and Moussa Diaby sealing a famous win under the Villa Park lights.
What a way it was to bounce back from their humbling loss to top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, although that's not to say that it was all rosy for Emery and co on the night, with Morgan Rogers among a handful of starters who struggled to impact proceedings…
Morgan Rogers' performance in numbers vs Ajax
Plucked from Championship side Middlesbrough back in January after registering 16 goal involvements in the first half of the season, the promising youngster is understandably still finding his feet in his new surroundings, as was evident against the Dutch outfit.
Having not featured during the dismal defeat at the hands of Spurs, Rogers was thrust into the fray from the outset on Thursday evening, the 21-year-old lining up on the left flank as part of a formidable forward line.
While the likes of Bailey, Diaby and Watkins all made their mark after getting onto the scoresheet, the young Englishman, meanwhile, was wholly ineffective in that wide berth, having been restricted to a measly total of just 12 touches.
Although the new arrival did enjoy a 100% pass accuracy rate and managed to register two key passes to help spark two openings prior to Watkins' early header, it was no real surprise to see him hooked at the break, with Emery perhaps holding fears that the winger could see red after picking up an early yellow card.
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The £8m addition may well find himself on the substitutes' bench for this weekend's trip to West Ham United, although he wasn't alone in having struggled on the left flank last night, with full-back Alex Moreno also "toiling" – as per The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell.
Alex Moreno's game in numbers vs Ajax
It may be harsh to be too critical of any Villa star following the nature of that statement win, although it is fair to say that Moreno was not at his best even amid the 4-0 triumph, with Birmingham Live's John Townley notably writing that the Spaniard 'struggled in the first half and was beaten on a few occasions on the wing'.
Subsequently awarded an unspectacular 6/10 match rating by Townley following that critical assessment, the left-back's woes were also showcased by the fact that he was particularly errant on the ball, having squandered possession on 17 occasions – more than any other player for either side.
Although the former Real Betis man was able to contribute one key pass in that quest to provide some attacking thrust from his defensive berth, he did fail to successfully complete either of his two dribbles, having also been unable to complete a single cross.
90 minutes
55 touches
80% pass accuracy rate
17x possession lost
2/5 ground duels won
1/2 aerial duels won
1 key pass
0/2 dribbles completed
Not only something of liability going forward, the 30-year-old also came up short defensively after winning just three of his seven total duels and being notably outmuscled by Chupa Akpom just before the break, with teammate Lucas Digne no doubt ready to pounce on those woes by returning to the side on Sunday.
While Emery may not wish to change a winning team, having an experienced fixture like Digne in reserve should allow the former Arsenal boss the chance to shuffle his pack accordingly, as Villa continue their pursuit of Champions League qualification.
