UNAI HAS EYES ON TWO PRIZES
UNAI EMERY wants to win the Europa Conference League – but his focus was fixed on a bigger prize last night.
The Spaniard gambled by making wholesale changes to his line-up ahead of Sunday’s crunch Premier League clash with Tottenham.
Victory will go a long way towards cementing fourth spot and a Champions League place for the first time – and wily old fox Emery was taking no chances.
He swapped out almost half his side for the first leg of this last-16 tie.
Villa’s boss said he had nothing on his mind but Europe, although he handed first starts to Morgan Rogers and Tim Iroegbunam.
More worryingly for Villa, influential defender Pau Torres came off at half-time.
Emery said: “I wasn’t really thinking about Sunday. We started with Tim because, apart from him, we don’t have another player like him after Boubacar Kamara’s injury.
“We decided to play with Torres but knew playing him for 90 minutes would be a risk.
John McGinn had small pain and was a doubt.
“I prefer also not to take a risk.”
This dull tie was left in the balance as neither side were prepared to overcommit.
Ajax striker Brian Brobbey fluffed one good chance, Ollie Watkins saw a goalbound effort blocked, then made a header on his own goalline to keep the game goalless. That was pretty much it.
Ezri Konsa was dismissed by picky referee Enea Jorgji late on for two bookable offences and he then evened up the score when dismissing Tristan Gooijer for similar indiscretions. AJAX (3-4-3): Rama 6; Rensch 6, Kaplan 7, Hato 6; Gooijer 5, Henderson 6, Mannsverk 5 (Van den Boomen 76), Sosa 5; Hlynsson 5 (Akpom 80), Taylor 6, BROBBEY 8. ASTON VILLA (4-4-1-1): Martinez 6; Konsa 5, Lenglet 6, Torres 5 (Cash 46, 5), Digne 6 (Moreno 73); Luiz 6, Iroegbunam 6 (Zaniolo 73), Tielemans 6; Rogers 5 (Bailey 63, 5), Diaby 5 (McGinn 62, 5), Watkins 5. REFEREE: Enea Jorgji (Albania) 5.