Aston Villa Player Ratings: EFL Championship Final

We. Are. Going. Up.

Just one year after a heartbreaking playoff final defeat, Aston Villa have reversed their fortunes, and come out on the other end of the final.

Wembley was packed and absolutely rocking, which seemed to bolster the Villa players right from the onset. Possession came early for Villa, and along with it a few chances through our talisman Jack Grealish. Axel Tuanzebe whiffed on a loose ball in the box following a Grealish corner, and JAck elected to take one on himself, firing just over the crossbar about 5 minutes later.

The first half was pretty open from there on out, with each team looking optimistic but nervy, leading to a number of “ooooh” moments from the crowd. Just before halftime, the deadlock was broken:

A mixture of excitement and relief, and what a way to go into halftime.

The second half looked to be more in Derby’s favor, but a blunder from GK Kelle Roos (he had a rough day) allowed one of Aston Villa’s shortest players, John McGinn, to head home from close range. 1/2 of Wembley erupted, and the heads of the Derby players began to go down.

To the credit of Derby, they fought like hell, eventually pulling one back through Marriott/Waghorn following some nice play in the Aston Villa defensive third. Alas, it would not be enough as Aston Villa were able to see the match out and deservedly gain promotion thanks to their 2-1 victory.