Aston Villa vs. Fulham: Three thoughts from Craven Cottage defeat
By Josh Tonti
Aston Villa dropped out of an automatic promotion spot, slipping to third in the EFL Championship after a 2-0 away defeat to Fulham.
It was never going to be easy, was it?
The second-place hype was short-lived after defeat pushed the team into third. Aston Villa’s slip-up at Craven Cottage can be forgiven granted the level of opposition (away from home nonetheless) coupled with a pair of star-studded injuries. The claret and blues looked like a completely different team from the one that won seven consecutive league victories dating the past seven weeks.
A new formation, a few displaced personnel, one Ryan Sessegnon, and Villa fell apart by a scoreline of 2-0. But it could have been worse, way worse, as Fulham created numerous chances after the halftime break.
1. Aston Villa’s injury luck finally ran out.
It was bound to happen. I mean this is a club whose unfortunate, consistent string of injury woes hamper the team and hemorrhage points every single year. This time it was Jack Grealish and Albert Adomah, the club’s two best attackers, who succumbed to the muscle injury monster. Compounding the issue were Ahmed Elmohamady picking up a knock before halftime and reports of Adomah’s left wing deputy, André Green, suffering from a hamstring strain in training.
That’s four injuries in two or three days. Ugh.
I completely jinxed the Egyptian international – calling him a “fitness king” for his ability to stay on the pitch over his career.
Steve Bruce having the ability to call upon a largely unchanged eleven over the winning streak played a massive role in the streak itself. It is time for the club to dig in deep as replacements need to step up. Peripheral starters like Lewis Grabban, Henri Lansbury and Josh Onomah need to play like Jonathan Kodjia, Jack Grealish and Albert Adomah if Villa are to finish second.
2. Axel Tuanzebe was the best player on a dreadful team stat-sheet.
Tuanzebe’s inclusion into the starting eleven surprised me a bit, considering I thought he was originally going to play in central midfield. At kickoff, he slotted into a more natural defensive role at right fullback with Elmohamady sliding up to right wing.
The Manchester United loanee did not disappoint. 86 touches, eight aerial challenges won, and a few decent forays into the attack. Given Elmo had to be withdrawn after 45 minutes, I think it likely Tuanzebe retains his role for Tuesday’s clash with Preston North End.
Aston Villa finished with 68% passing, just two shots on target and 37% total possession.
3. Cal O’Hare might be a better Grealish replacement than Hourihane, Lansbury or Onomah.
Callum O’Hare may only be 19 years of age, but stylistically, he is the most similar to Jack Grealish as a central attacking midfielder. Grealish’s absence in the squad was noticeable as Villa were unable to carry possession from defense to attack. Moreover, the team lacked its usual set piece opportunities with all the fouls Grealish normally draws.
Next: Aston Villa vs. Fulham: Player Grades
Starting O’Hare poses a risk to Bruce, but it might behoove him to name him on the bench as a threat from the middle of the park. As good as Conor Hourihane is, he’s even better playing deeper in the field with both a CAM and a center forward ahead of him.
Bonus thought: a 3-5-2 is totally workable, buy ONLY if Ahmed Elmohamady is fit to start.