Villa picked up an impressive 2-0 win away at Feyenoord in the Europa League, with goals from Emi Buendia and John McGinn helping the team to a third straight victory in all competitions.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing. We lost Emi Martinez to injury in the warm-up, meaning Marco Bizot had to step in at the last minute. The Dutchman was excellent, making eight saves to keep Feyenoord out.
The first half was full of drama. Feyenoord had a goal questionably ruled out for a foul on Matty Cash, and defender Anel Ahmedhodzic escaped with just a yellow after bringing down Ollie Watkins when he was through on goal.
Embed from Getty ImagesVilla took control in the second half. Buendia opened the scoring with a lovely curled finish after Boubacar Kamara won the ball on the edge of the box. McGinn added the second after Donyell Malen’s smart turn and run into the area caused problems for the Feyenoord defence.
Villa’s back line held firm, with Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres making key blocks, and Bizot keeping out several dangerous efforts. The win moves Villa up to third in their Europa League group phase.
It’s a big result for Emery’s side, who are starting to find form after a slow start to the season. With Burnley up next in the Premier League and another European trip to the Netherlands later this month, things are looking up.