Roberto Di Matteo’s men conceded three second-half goals after Jack Grealish’s early opener as they fell to a 3-1 loss at Ashton Gate on Saturday afternoon.
More of the same problems
Villa could not have asked for a better start when Jack Grealish volleyed them in front after only five minutes, but the same old problems came back to haunt them over the course of the afternoon.
Jordan Ayew, Leandro Bacuna and Ross McCormack all missed chances to double the team’s lead in the first half, and much like against Sheffield Wednesday, Luton Town, Huddersfield and Derby County, that failure to build on their early dominance ultimately proved costly.
As soon as City equalised, Di Matteo’s men suddenly went into disarray and never really looked like getting back into the game once the second went in soon after. A few early hiccups were to be expected this season with all the changes that has gone on over the summer, but Villa simply cannot be considered among the promotion favourites until they learn to play for a full 90 minutes.
Nothing on the bench
Like the Derby game, Di Matteo was left decidedly hampered by his lack of options on the bench. Libor Kozak struggled once again to offer anything positive following his 70th-minute introduction, while the only other attacking player among the substitutes was 18-year-old Andre Green.
The Italian does have the highly-rated Rushian Hepburn-Murphy at his disposal, but while he may well prove an upgrade over Kozak, most would agree that the squad is still lacking at least another striker and an attacking midfielder. Without those reinforcements, Villa will continue to struggle to kill of games.
Pressure back on Gollini
Pierluigi Gollini may have managed to briefly bounce back from his two errors against Wednesday and Huddersfield by producing a solid display at Derby last weekend, but another costly mistake on Saturday brought all the questions about his starting credentials back to the surface.
After producing a couple of smart saves in the first half, the 21-year-old Italian goalkeeper undid all his good work just before the hour mark when he failed to divert a Lee Tomlin shot away from danger, weakly parrying it into Tammy Abraham’s path for the Chelsea loanee to fire home the equaliser.
Di Matteo defended the former Manchester United youngster from criticism after the match, but you have to wonder how long it will be before he is forced to turn to the more experienced Mark Bunn if the mistakes continue.
Signs of Grealish’s greatness
For 45 minutes on Saturday, Jack Grealish reminded everyone why there was so much excitement surrounding him going into last season. As well as opening the scoring, the 20-year-old midfielder caused plenty of problems for the hosts over the rest of the first half with his quick feet and trickery around the final third, while he even impressed with his defensive work at times.
He could not ultimately carry his dominance over into the second half, but it was certainly encouraging to see the England Under-21 international show some of the game-changing skills we all know he possesses.
Jedinak gives Villa some bite
Mile Jedinak’s Villa debut may not have been one for the ages, but he did manage to showcase some of the traits that made him one of Di Matteo’s top transfer targets this summer. Starting along with fellow new boy Ritchie De Laet, the 32-year-old Australian threw his weight around the centre of the park early on and, despite his lack of mobility, always seemed to be in the right position to receive a pass or make a tackle. He was somewhat careless in possession at times and noticeably tired as the second half progressed, but he was also one of the few players who kept battling until the final whistle.
Once his match fitness improves, it should not be long before we see him really thrive.
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