Villa's Ezri Konsa grabs win after 10-man Sheffield United pay the penalty
Last time it was a glitch in goalline technology that vexed Sheffield United at Villa Park, this time Chris Wilder’s men were frustrated by an early red card for John Egan and a moment of class from the home team’s new goalkeeper. Emiliano Martínez marked his first appearance for Aston Villa since a £20m move from Arsenal by saving John Lundstram’s first-half penalty. Ezri Konsa crowned an ideal start to the season for the home side by heading the winning goal in the second half.
“It feels great, it was like scoring a hat-trick for me,” said Martínez. “Saving a penalty and keeping a clean sheet for me is the best game.”
Villa aspire to be doing much more than repeating last season’s late escape from relegation, and they have recruited accordingly. Before this game they confirmed the £17m purchase of the forward Bertrand Traoré from Lyon, and once this game got going, two other expensive recruits, Ollie Watkins and Matty Cash, began to demonstrate their value.
Martínez’s save just after the half hour was superb, the goalkeeper flinging himself full-length to his right to paw away Lundstram’s decently struck effort from the spot. Dean Smith also relished the way the debutant commanded his area and participated in the bold way Villa played out from the back. “It was not just about his save, he has calmness, assurance and a great personality,” said the manager of the Argentinian. “He will be a very good signing for us.” Villa’s other two league debutants also made good impressions, with Cash ensuring a regular supply of useful crosses from the right and Watkins leading the attack cleverly.
Watkins may be a newcomer to the top flight but he was wily enough to induce a foul from Egan, who was deemed to have tugged his man back as the pair raced to be first to a downfield pass from Tyrone Mings. United players protested that the sending-off was too harsh a punishment but the referee’s verdict stood on review.
After losing their final three matches of last season, United have begun this one badly and even seem to have developed a nasty habit of botching their start to matches. They never recovered from conceding two goals in the first six minutes of their opening game against Wolves and here they found themselves attempting to wangle a result despite losing their captain after 12 minutes.
The fact that Villa had looked the brighter team even before the dismissal did not augur well for them. Egan is normally the linchpin of United’s defence and without him they switched initially to an orthodox back four. Villa gained control and tried to turn the screw.
Conor Hourihane was irate to see a couple of exquisite free-kicks flash across the face of the United goal without any Villa player being able to apply a touch. Watkins had a header deflected wide after a cross by Cash, and then Douglas Luiz brought a comfortable save from Aaron Ramsdale with a closerange header. Although the visiting keeper had not been forced to excel, Chris Wilder tried to diffuse the rising danger from Villa by making a substitution just after the half-hour.
The change almost paid off spectacularly. With David McGoldrick withdrawn, Chris Basham was pushed into a more attacking role as the substitute, Ethan Ampadu, slotted into central defence. Basham swiftly caught Matt Targett unaware as he dashed on to an excellent pass by Oliver Burke. Targett panicked and tripped Basham, leaving the referee with the simple decision of awarding a penalty. Martínez had enjoyed a serene start to life at Villa Park up until that point and made sure Lundstram did not ruin it.
Villa controlled possession after that, probing with patience if not much ingenuity. “Keep doing the simple things,” hollered Mings, who produced a commanding performance on the day he extended his contract until 2024. “That’s another show of the club’s intent,” Smith said of that deal.
Peculiarly, Villa’s goal came immediately after the withdrawal of Hourihane, whose inviting deliveries had been spurned. In his absence Targett took the corner that Mings flicked on, leaving Konsa to leap above Enda Stevens and nod into the net.
The increased solidity of Konsa’s partnership with Mings in central defence was one of the reasons for Villa’s survival last season and the pair looked accomplished again, albeit against opponents who struggled to mount a sustainable threat with a numerical disadvantage.