Jonny Evans rolls back the years as Manchester United hold out at Aston Villa – Premier League hits and misses | Football News

Evans rolls again the years as Man Utd maintain out

“At one level I assumed Gary and Phil Neville is likely to be the full-backs,” quipped Gary Neville after listening to concerning the inclusion of his 36-year-old former team-mate Jonny Evans in Manchester United’s beginning line-up for Sunday’s conflict with Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Erik ten Hag made daring calls together with his workforce choice, drafting in Harry Maguire in addition to Evans as Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez had been dropped following the defensive horror reveals towards Spurs and Porto. However what adopted was their greatest defensive show of the season within the goalless draw.

Neville was wanting to stress that it appeared a determined transfer forward of kick-off. “This isn’t the plan,” stated the Sky Sports activities pundit. “The plan this season was for Erik ten Hag to ascertain his model of play, shift them up the pitch and make them extra aggressive.”

However the adjustments did at the least have the specified impact within the brief time period. Maguire was compelled off at half-time as a consequence of damage however Evans battled via the 90 minutes as United’s greatest participant, incomes the player-of-the-match award in a efficiency which belied his age.

Villa had received a 3rd consecutive residence sport with their Champions League victory over Bayern Munich in midweek however United restricted them to 11 pictures value a meagre 0.42 anticipated objectives and Evans was key, profitable 11 out of 12 duels and all 5 of his aerials.

Ollie Watkins had the beating of him when it comes to tempo, however the Aston Villa striker didn’t get an opportunity to make use of it, such was the intelligence of Evans’ positioning. This was hardly a nook turned for United. However Evans helped give Ten Hag what he wanted on the day.
Nick Wright

Villa squad stretched already as Konsa the most recent to fall

Worryingly for Aston Villa and Unai Emery, his facet look drained already – and you can’t blame them. Villa gave completely all the things to beat Bayern Munich in midweek and misplaced each Amadou Onana and Jacob Ramsey to damage whereas doing so.

Leon Bailey, who isn’t absolutely match himself, began the sport towards United and put in a stable shift – however it highlights how stretched Emery’s squad already is.

On prime of this, England worldwide Ezri Konsa was compelled off within the first half and appeared a pissed off character on the bench because the 0-0 draw performed out.

The attacking show towards United appeared drained and laborious at occasions. Crosses failing to beat the primary man, gamers unaware of their environment and finally an absence of risk all through.

The worldwide break has presumably arrived on the excellent time for Villa. They want a pause in play and a possibility to get some gamers, similar to Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings, again into the first-team image to supply some well-needed help transferring ahead.

“We do not have these gamers [to bring on] as they’re injured,” Emery stated after the sport when requested concerning the lack of depth, the place he additionally highlighted the absence of captain John McGinn, who has missed the final 4 video games.

The draw towards United now makes it eight video games with out defeat for Villa – however how lengthy they will carry this on with the amount of video games and the present damage issues sweeping the squad, stays to be seen.
Patrick Rowe

Nuno produces one other away defensive masterclass

This was not precisely the right time to be dealing with Chelsea for Nottingham Forest. Enzo Maresca was eyeing a sixth straight win in all competitions, however in the long run the Italian was grateful in some respects for some extent from the 1-1 draw regardless of enjoying the ultimate 25 minutes, together with stoppages, towards 10 gamers.

Have been it not for Robert Sanchez’s heroics, Forest would have claimed back-to-back league wins at Stamford Bridge for the primary time since January 1908.

They continue to be unbeaten on the street and, after seven video games, no facet has a greater away defensive report than Nuno Espirito Santo’s workforce – one thing he places right down to exhausting work.

“Since final season, our dedication has been to enhance on this side,” he stated. “You can’t play within the Premier League if you’re not stable and compact and robust in defence. They’re doing nicely in that side via exhausting work and resilience. We have now to proceed, and we can’t ever ignore the standard of our opponents and the truth that now we have to defend.”

Espirito Santo joined his teaching employees in a huddle after Chris Wooden’s opener – a celebration of a set-piece routine honed on the coaching floor coming to fruition. Nothing is left to likelihood.

The way in which during which Forest absorbed Chelsea’s late bombardment can have happy the Portuguese simply as a lot because the preventing spirit proven throughout the second-half fracas that sparked the dramatic denouement.

To see talisman Morgan Gibbs-White hobble off with an ankle damage after which go right down to 10 gamers following James Ward-Prowse’s sending off solely to very practically come away with all three factors underlines Forest’s progress as an upwardly-mobile outfit. To the Premier League’s established order, they’re changing into a scalp.

After defeating Liverpool, the circumstances made this level each bit as spectacular.
Ben Grounds

Chelsea’s disciplinary difficulty ought to concern Maresca

Maresca is making an attempt to take Chelsea to the highest of the Premier League, however the Blues lead the standings in a single class – and it isn’t a optimistic one.

The Blues have now picked up 27 yellow playing cards, greater than another top-flight workforce. The draw with Nottingham Forest was the second time this season Chelsea have met the yellow-card threshold of six – which warrants a £25,000 effective.

However extra worryingly, it leaves Chelsea with some holes in defence. Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella picked up their fifth bookings of the season which implies a weakened Blues backline will head to Liverpool on October 20, dwell on Sky Sports activities.

Lacking the spectacular Cucurella is a priority, with Renato Veiga or doubtlessly even Ben Chilwell now needing to step as much as cease a rampant Mohamed Salah. In the meantime, Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer are actually each on three yellow playing cards. Lacking these two gamers for any sport could be a priority given how reliant Chelsea have been on them for attacking output this season.

Maresca says he’s not involved by Chelsea’s yellow playing cards. His goalkeeper Robert Sanchez beginning this season brilliantly and lessening the defensive blow helps his case. However the Chelsea supervisor have to be cautious of this disciplinary difficulty on the membership, because it might come again to hang-out them.
Sam Blitz

Solanke proving his value however Spurs fail to capitalise

Ange Postecoglou blamed Tottenham’s unimaginable collapse at Brighton on an absence of software somewhat than something that tactically modified within the second half. That’s exhausting to argue towards, but what was obvious apparent after the break was how little of the ball Spurs managed to get into Dominic Solanke. The striker was wonderful for 45 minutes, enjoying an enormous function in each objectives and providing Spurs an choice to set their assaults from.

Regardless of his affect, Solanke solely had 20 touches of the ball in the whole sport, the fewest of any participant that began the sport throughout each groups. Spurs ought to have utilised him extra, particularly within the second half the place he was nameless as Tottenham failed miserably at chasing the sport when 3-2 behind.

Former Spurs striker Les Ferdinand was left perplexed concerning the lack of service Solanke bought, he stated: “Within the first half Spurs at all times had the out-ball with Solanke – they by no means used him within the second half. He by no means bought the possibility to carry it up and convey folks in. He hardly touched the ball, via no fault of his personal.”

Brighton’s key participant, Kaoru Mitoma, had 51 touches. Play to your strengths they are saying. That proved the distinction between the groups.
Lewis Jones