Aston Villa player grades as Grealish, Snodgrass run rampant over Bristol

Happy freaking New Year, Villa supporters. Aston Villa bulldozed Bristol City on Monday to earn an important three points. After matchweek 26, the claret and blues sit 5th in the EFL Championship.

2018 could not have started any better for the claret of Aston Villa Football Club.

Utilizing a mostly unchanged side on 48 hours rest, Steve Bruce and company defeated the Robins at Villa Park, 5-0. Scott Hogan opened the scoring with a pin-point header from Albert Adomah in the 22nd-minute. Nearly identical placement from the goal that earned Villa all three points against Middlesbrough.

Hogan, often the target of fan ire, set-up Villa’s second by forcing a tremendous save from Bristol City deputy ‘keeper Luke Steele in the 33rd-minute. The ball fell to Robert Snodgrass, who hammered it home – his second in two matches.

But Snodgrass wasn’t done! Jack Grealish carried the ball from midfield into the Robins’ box before laying-off Snoddy for Aston Villa’s third. Birkir Bjarnason, a second-half substitute for Albert Adomah added the fourth on a 1v1 situation.

Conor Hourihane added the final tally from a deflected, right-footed shot just inside the eighteen. Our player grades below:

6.0. Outside of the opening twelve minutes or so in the first-half and five minutes or so of the second, Johnstone largely was a spectator. Anyway, big ups to SJ and the defense on keeping another clean sheet. Hopefully it was not his last match in an Aston Villa shirt.. GK. Aston Villa. SAM JOHNSTONE

RB. Aston Villa. AHMED ELMOHAMADY. 6.5. Quality positioning, adept defensive shape, and sublime crossing. Elmohamady didn’t have a lot to do, but he got up and down the right very well on the evening. Elmo’s 75 touches led Aston Villa.

RCB. Aston Villa. TOMMY ELPHICK. 7.0. Looks like a completely new player. Elphick won five aerial challenges alone in the first-half as Aston Villa held on for the clean sheet. Look for Elphick to start again against Peterborough in the FA Cup. John Terry could make a return with James Chester earning a rest.

7.0. Quality in possession as the Villa captain was a calming presence on the ball. Challenged well from set pieces, battling the likes of the gargantuan Aden Flint and former Villan Nathan Baker. 95.8% passing accuracy.. LCB. Aston Villa. JAMES CHESTER

7.0. Another match at left back, another better performance. Alan Hutton completed 87% of his passes in the first half and sprung Albert Adomah with some nice through balls. <strong>Assisted </strong>Birkir Bjarnason on a ball that sent the Iceland international through on goal.. LB. Aston Villa. ALAN HUTTON

7.0. Towering presence, extremely calm in possession. Deserves to keep his place over Glenn Whelan until proven otherwise. Four aerial challenges won.. CDM. Aston Villa. MILE JEDINAK

7.5. One goal, two key passes, great two-way play from the Republic of Ireland international. Hourihane looked like his early-season self just ahead of Mile Jedinak. CM. Aston Villa. CONOR HOURIHANE

CAM. Aston Villa. JACK GREALISH. 9.0. Absolutely sublime. Picked up an assist, hit the woodwork, 90% passing accuracy, great carrying ability, Jack Grealish did it all. Well, everything except score maybe. Our Man of the Match performance, as well as the fans’.

7.5. Two great goals, one required adept, tight dribbling, the other a poacher’s mentality.. RM. Aston Villa. ROBERT SNODGRASS

ALBERT ADOMAH. 7.0. Got a much deserved rest after being replaced by Birkir Bjarnason in the 69th-minute. Constant threat on the left – broke on several counter attacks. Recorded another left-footed assist on Hogan’s opener.. LM. Aston Villa

7.5. Scott Hogan finally scored his first in the league this year. Nearly scored a second, too, had it not been for Bristol City goalkeeper Luke Steele. Only had 18 touches which is still a little concerning. Replaced by RHM with eight minutes to play.. CF. Aston Villa. SCOTT HOGAN

Aston Villa get a full five days off before hosting Peterborough United in third-round FA Cup action on Saturday. All data provided by WhoScored match center.

Make 2018 your year, Villa fans!

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