Villa Are Still Villa
Tuesday was shaping up to be a good day. Jack Grealish put any questions about his future to rest (at least until next season), by signing a 5-year contract at Villa Park, Emiliano Martinez all but confirmed his transfer from Arsenal via his Instagram account, and Aston Villa opened their 2020/21 season against Burton Albion. Everything was wonderful… until the football started. In signature Villa style, Dean Smith’s side conceded to Burton Albion after just 64 seconds to remind supporters that despite all the excitement over the future of the club, this is very much still Aston Villa and at every opportunity, they will make life hard for themselves. Villa of course eventually came out on top, but they didn’t quite stick the landing as they began their campaign.
Jack Grealish is the Man
Super Jack Grealish’s reward for signing his new deal – besides the sizeable pay rise – was a thorough kicking by Burton Albion’s bruisers. As is usually the case though, Grealish shrugged off the special attention he received to be the difference in the game. It may have been against lower league opposition, but Villa’s captain was at the peak of his powers, repeatedly showing off his impeccable first touch and leading crowds of opposition defenders the like The Pied Piper as he danced around the pitch. Grealish provided the pre-assist for Villa’s opening goal, slipping a pass through to the weapon that is Neil Taylor from an improbable angle – Taylor seemed to think Grealish still had the ball, before realising it was right under his nose – and then scored the decisive goal with a volley that carried a steep level of difficulty. I’m running out of superlatives for Villa’s talisman.
Ollie Watkins is Legit
It’s no secret that Villa have been short of a reliable striker since Tammy Abraham returned to Chelsea. In Ollie Watkins competitive debut, he showed everything that Villa fans wanted to see. The £33m arrival scored his first official goal in claret and blue and it was typical of how Watkins gets many of his goals; by being in the right place at the right time. This is something that Watkins excels at and is incredibly difficult to teach. This positional savvy also provided Watkins with another opportunity which he should’ve converted, but it was a very promising overall performance from the new kid on the block, who also demonstrated a willingness and an ability to receive the ball and bring his teammates into play. Villa’s record signing may not have played a Premier League game yet, but after netting against Manchester United in a friendly and again versus Burton Albion, the early returns look good.
Keinan Davis Scores, No, Seriously.
It was great to see KD get his name on the scoresheet, putting an exclamation point on Villa’s victory with a composed, slotted finish in the last knockings of the game. This was the first goal for Davis in competitive action in over a year, last finding the net in the same competition against Crewe Alexandra. Davis has endeared himself to the Villa fans with his committed and workmanlike displays, but has evidently struggled for goals. Opportunities will be more limited now that Watkins has arrived, so it was crucial for Davis to make the most of his cameo performance to keep his name in Dean Smith’s thoughts.
Bertrand Traore, Get Here Yesterday
As has too often been the case, Jack Grealish shouldered the responsibility of providing the lion’s share of Villa’s creativity against Burton. Anwar El Ghazi showed next to nothing, which is extremely concerning when you consider the standard of opposition he was facing. El Ghazi has always blown hot and cold, but a raging blizzard has been circulating around him for quite some time now. Trezeguet offers more and came through in big moments at the end of last season, but Villa are still sorely in need of a dynamic presence, outside of the customary brilliance of Grealish. The hope is that Bertrand Traore will be the spark that this team requires, once his move from Lyon is complete. Villa will need Traore to settle quickly and contribute early.
The Villa Ramble 
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