Aston Villa kicked off their Gameweek 25 double in underwhelming fashion, drawing at home with 10-man Ipswich Town.
Our latest Scout Notes article conducts the inquest.
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ROGERS FRUSTRATED
Morgan Rogers (£5.7m) owners may not care to hear it but the budget midfielder was unfortunate to blank on Saturday.
Rogers racked up his highest expected goal involvement (xGI) figure of the season (0.95). His totals for shots (five), chances created (four) and penalty box touches (nine) also weren’t bettered at Villa Park.
Above: Morgan Rogers’ highest xGI figures of 2024/25 by Gameweek
New Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer (£4.5m), making his first-ever Premier League start, was inspired. Palmer made two superb stops to keep out a close-range Rogers effort and a flicked header from the Villa man. Just when it looked like Rogers was going to get a slice of luck, when his stoppage-time backheeled effort was deflected goalwards, up popped Palmer yet again to claw out the ball.
The England international couldn’t even get an assist. Marco Asensio (£6.0m), on as a substitute, was also denied brilliantly by the new Tractor Boy when teed up by Rogers.
Couldn’t you have played Ari Muric (£4.4m) just one more week, Kieran McKenna…
RASHFORD IMPRESSES
Palmer was eventually beaten midway through the second half. Ollie Watkins (£8.9m), who had earlier spurned a big one-on-one chance, grabbed the goal, reacting sharply to the loose ball when Marcus Rashford‘s (£6.6m) free-kick had hit the bar.
Rashford, as he had been in the FA Cup last weekend, was bright upon his introduction. Thrown on for Jacob Ramsey (£5.4m) at the break, the loanee took up a left-wing position. Rashford had been a nominal ‘nine’ against Tottenham Hotspur.
Whether it was disinterest or a lack of confidence in his final weeks at United, Saturday saw Rashford at his most capable. This was an assured Rashford, driving at the Ipswich defence (no one could better his six attempted take-ons, despite him only appearing as a substitute), creating opportunities and chancing his arm from distance. It was from Rashford’s brilliant run and cross that Rogers nearly found the net in injury time.
It’ll be interesting to see if Emery gives him the nod against Liverpool on Wednesday and to see if the renaissance can continue.
“He was getting better and feeling comfortable as well. He will help us for the next matches. Today he played 45 minutes and 35 minutes for Asensio as well. Progressively they are getting fitter and they will have opportunities to help us.” – Unai Emery on Marcus Rashford, via the Birmingham Mail
EMERY ON VILLA INJURIES + HALF-TIME SUBS
Watkins’ return from injury was a big boost for Villa. The striker got through 90 minutes, indeed, to answer any questions about his fitness.
The fact that he was thrust straight back into the starting XI off the back of an injury, especially when Rashford and Donyell Malen (£5.5m) had done well up top against Spurs, shows how highly Emery rates him. Malen moved to the right wing to accommodate Watkins against Ipswich.
It wasn’t all good news on the injury front for the Villans, however.
The hosts had to do without Leon Bailey (£6.2m) on Saturday, while makeshift centre-half Boubacar Kamara (£5.0m) hobbled off after 15 minutes.
“I don’t know now but I think it is not a lot.” – Unai Emery on Boubacar Kamara, via the Birmingham Mail
“He had a small pain and I think it is not a very important injury. Hopefully, he will be ready for the next matches.” – Unai Emery on Leon Bailey, via the Birmingham Mail
As well as replacing Kamara after a quarter of an hour, Emery made two other early substitutions. Lucas Digne (£4.6m) and Ramsey came off at half-time, with Ian Maatsen (£4.5m) and Rashford thrown on.
There are no injury concerns this time, however.
“It was tactical.” – Unai Emery on his half-time substitutions, via the Birmingham Mail
It sounds like the more direct Maatsen was thrown on due to the game-state, then, so there’s a glimmer of hope for Digne owners ahead of Wednesday.
In quotes you may have missed from the post-deadline embargoed section of Emery’s pre-match presser, we also got updates on Ezri Konsa (£4.4m) and Amadou Onana (£4.8m).
“Onana still has work to do individually for the next weeks, but I don’t know if it is one, two or three,.
“Konsa, his injury is not a big injury and he is starting to work individually on the field. Hopefully one week I think he will be available to play again.” – Unai Emery, speaking on Friday, via the Birmingham Mail
DELAP REACHES 10 GOALS, DAVIS INJURED
Palmer deservedly lapped up the praise for Ipswich but this was a great collective effort from Kieran McKenna’s side, who lost Axel Tuanzebe (£3.9m) to a first-half red card.
They’d also seen Julio Enciso (£5.4m) limp off with a knee injury, while Leif Davis (£4.4m) and Sam Morsy (£4.9m) were absent.
“Julio is down the side of his knee, so we’ll have to wait for assessment.
“Samy we lost early in the week – hopefully not too major. It’s a little inflammation around his abdominal region.
“Leif was a really late one yesterday, so Conor [Townsend] had to come in at late notice. I won’t go into too much medical stuff with Leif, but, again, it’s a minor injury.” – Kieran McKenna, via the EADT
Liam Delap (£5.6m) had put Ipswich into a shock lead, finishing well from an Omari Hutchinson (£5.2m) cut-back.
That’s now 10 goals for the season for the budget striker, only two of which have been penalties.
He’s certainly making the most of what little comes his way. Delap is outside the top 30 forwards for minutes per chance (42.9) this season, while he’s +2.52 up on his xG.
