Ings sting in the tail!
DANNY PILES MOOR AGONY ON JACKSON
MIKE JACKSON was defiant after Burnley old boy Danny Ings bagged the opening goal in a win that could condemn his former club to the Championship.
Emi Buendia inspired a comfortable Villa win, but the Clarets’ interim boss insisted the battle to stay up is far from over, having tasted defeat for the first time after an impressive 10-point haul from his first four matches.
The Turf Moor battlers failed to reel in those above them as Steven Gerrard’s men taught them a lesson. The Villa boss omitted Philippe Coutinho from his starting XI – Liverpool are at Villa Park on Tuesday – but
Buendia took centre stage instead. The Argentine created the opener with a delicious slide-rule pass for Ings and scored the second before Ollie Watkins’ header secured the points.
Max Cornet’s late strike was a consolation but Jackson remained unbowed at the end.
He said: “I told them all before the Watford game last week that if I was going to take any group into battle, it would be this one. My thoughts haven’t changed now. You can’t win every game. It’s how you react, respond and how you come together as a group.
“We will focus everything on the last three matches. The league didn’t finish today.”
Jackson’s opposite number Gerrard was delighted. Before the game the Villa boss had called for ruthlessness in the opposition penalty area. He got it.
He said: “I put it on the players before kick-off. We have got a lot of people who will do the dirty work and it’s important the front three have the quality to win us the game.
“They did. They were ruthless. Danny and Ollie can be a real threat and Emi, as
back-up, can provide that quality too. We were coming up against a team in a great place. They’ve picked up 10 from 12 on the back of a new manager’s bounce.
“It’s tough here but we’ve put in a really strong show.
“I’m disappointed we couldn’t see it out with a clean sheet but I won’t let that detract from what was a fantastic away display.”
The Clarets, brimming with confidence, were determined to enjoy a game of football.
But the problem was Villa were better than them at it. Too slick and clinical when given time and space to exploit.
Gerrard’s side hasn’t pulled up too many trees this campaign but still possesses enough quality to punish the division’s deadbeats. It was a lovely move that brought the first goal.
Ezri Konsa’s header was chested down by Buendia and Douglas Luiz and John McGinn were involved before the South American saw Ings scampering into a gap and he controlled and finished with his left foot.
He didn’t celebrate. But he had made his point. Matty Cash made his too, with a cross-field ball to Watkins, who involved Ings and Lucas Digne before the France star’s low centre was deflected home from Buendia’s shot.
Watkins’ header from McGinn’s centre wrapped up the three points, with Cornet’s consolation coming too late in the day.
Gerrard played down talk that he was in any way disappointed with Coutinho’s contribution, saying: “Emi was terrific. We’ve got five games in 15 days and it’s not fair to ask them to play all of them. I gave him an opportunity today and he’s taken it.
“We want Phil Coutinho here. Both he and Emi will get enough game time to keep them satisfied. Phil understands that.”
As for Jackson, he’s following the age-old mantra of taking it all in his stride. “I’m looking at the bigger picture,” he said.
“Things change very quickly in this game. I’ve been in football long enough to know the sky doesn’t fall in following a defeat.
“And neither does one victory make everyone a king either.”