JACK THE LAD
Grealish saves Villa and boss Smith orders him to get drunk!
DEAN SMITH revealed he was planning to ‘get drunk’ with Manchester United target Jack Grealish after Aston Villa’s talisman saved them from relegation — and said he was hopeful of hanging on to his captain. Villa drew 1-1 at West Ham to stay in the top flight after Grealish had scored the crucial opener in the 84th minute. When asked about the future of the midfielder,
Smith said: ‘I am hopeful. He has a long contract and if people want our best player it will cost an awful lot of money. We’ve got billionaire owners. He has scored the goal that managed to keep us in the league. What happens now is he goes out and gets drunk with me.’
IF THIS was Jack Grealish’s last game for Aston Villa, it is certain that he will remember it vividly for the rest of his life.
The Villa captain, a transfer target for Manchester United, thought he had scored the goal that would keep his boyhood club safe from relegation when his ferocious shot flashed past Lukasz Fabianski six minutes from time.
Victory was certain to make Villa safe but their agony was prolonged when substitute Andriy Yarmolenko equalised with a strike that deflected off Grealish.
Villa were ready to celebrate at full time but manager Dean Smith urged them to calm down as they awaited confirmation of the result of the match between Arsenal and Watford.
Players, coaches and other backroom staff waited in a huddle for 90 tense seconds until the news arrived that they were safe. John McGinn leaped on top of his team-mates and Trezeguet peeled away from the crowd, screaming with joy.
The ‘£200million catastrophe’ — as chief executive Christian Purslow labelled relegation in May — had been avoided and if Grealish does now leave the club he loves, what a way this was to do so.
The £140m spent on players after promotion from the Championship is no longer — at least for now — a stick to beat Villa with.
Huge credit must go to Smith, who was on the verge of losing his job when Villa lost 4-0 at Leicester in March, four days before the coronavirus pandemic halted the Premier League.
He used lockdown to improve Villa’s defending beyond recognition and that, as much as Grealish’s moment of inspiration, was what kept them up in the end. At one stage Villa were seven points from safety but Smith kept calm, kept focused and never stopped believing. Eight points from their final four games proved decisive as they survived on the last day at the expense of Watford and Bournemouth.
Villa had lost all nine of their previous matches in London and Michail Antonio should have given West Ham an early lead. Ezri Konsa misjudged a long ball forward from Issa Diop, giving Antonio a free run on goal, but the forward — with eight goals since the restart — could only guide his effort wide of a post.
Mbwana Samatta could do no better at the other end moments later when he headed Frederic Guilbert’s right-wing cross straight at Fabianski.
With Tyrone Mings and Pepe Reina bellowing instructions, Villa continued to resist and a minute before half-time, Grealish
wasted a glorious chance to put them in front. McGinn found space on the edge of the box and picked out Conor Hourihane, who nudged the ball wide for Grealish, whose strike was weak and too close to Fabianski.
McGinn and Grealish were crucial to a far sharper start to the second half for Villa, though this time it was McGinn who missed when he should have scored. Hourihane’s cross from the left was miskicked by Samatta and when it reached McGinn, he could only steer it limply towards goal, allowing Ben Johnson to clear.
Johnson then produced two excellent left-wing crosses. Konsa did superbly to head away the first and when the second broke to Mark Noble, he was brought down for a free-kick Yarmolenko fired into the side netting.
Still Grealish was a frustrated figure on the fringes of the game. In a rare burst, he exchanged passes with McGinn from a short corner and charged into the box before delivering a curling effort that was deflected over by Noble.
Moments later, he was involved in Villa’s best move of the whole match. Following good work from McGinn, Grealish released Keinan Davis and the substitute’s angled shot eluded Fabianski’s dive but also trickled wide of the far post. Had Fabianski got a hand to it, Trezeguet would have been presented with a tap-in.
Grealish saved his most important contribution for the 84th minute. McGinn picked him out on the left corner of the box and the captain took a touch before driving the ball left-footed past Fabianski. It may have taken a slight deflection to deceive the Pole, who got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out. Villa’s entire playing and coaching staff celebrated wildly, thinking they were safe.
Not yet. A minute later, Grealish was the unlucky man as Yarmolenko’s shot from the edge of the area clipped his shin and looped over the stranded Reina.
It did not matter. Villa deserved their joy at full time for the work they have done in their last four matches.
Their supporters will expect better next season, but for now the feeling of pure relief is more than enough.