Wilder fury as rampant Villa enjoy a goal feast
CHRIS WILDER was spitting feathers about the referees’ picnic after defeat at Crystal Palace but this rolling buffet of Aston Villa goals will be even more difficult to digest.
Sheffield United were destroyed by rampant Villa, who were four up inside half an hour, coasted through the second half and finished with five to end their winter wobble and move back into the top four.
There were five different scorers for the visitors. Ollie Watkins was among them and set up three others as they sliced open the home side on the counter attack.
This time, none of it was down to the officials. Wilder raged about injustices following the defeat at Palace on Tuesday, his mood darkened by one of the referee’s assistants who carried on munching his sandwich when the Blades boss went to see the officials.
At Bramall Lane, he had no complaints. ‘We were punished ruthlessly,’ said Wilder. ‘Basic individual errors and organisational errors. I’ll take the rap for that. You have to take your medicine. We have to accept that and apologise to our supporters because they’ve been superb and we let them down.’
John McGinn was first to tuck in. Watkins raced onto a pass by Douglas Luiz and clipped a shot over Wes Foderingham as the goalkeeper slid out, but it hit a post. McGinn was rewarded for his anticipation as he tapped his eighth Villa goal of the season into an open net.
Four minutes later and Watkins scored. It was a precision strike set up by a delicious pass from Luiz, off the outside of the foot, curled behind Anel Ahmedhodzic into the path of Watkins, who took it in his stride and found the far corner.
Leon Bailey scored the third, another sweeping counterattack. All too simple and soft for Wilder. McGinn challenged for a high ball out of defence, Watkins collected the loose ball and picked out Bailey, who carried it into the penalty area, jinked onto his left foot and found the top corner.
Just as it seemed everything they hit would go in, Youri Tielemans was denied by a goalline clearance by Vini Souza but the relief was brief. Ben Brereton Diaz cleared a corner to the edge of the box and Tielenams smashed it in off the bar to make it 4-0.
‘We were clinical,’ said Emery. ‘We got confidence quick. We were feeling comfortable and we threatened them, running in behind, but we tried to be respectful and tried to be serious.’
Villa became the first to score four in the first half hour of the Premier League away game since Chelsea at Bolton in October 2011.
The hosts had created very little. Emi Martinez denied Brereton when at 0-0 and Mason Holgate, on a debut to forget, headed wide when they were three down.
Villa coasted through to half time, then came out and scored the fifth, 83 seconds after the restart. Bailey pounced on a defensive lapse by Auston Trusty, back-heeled to Watkins who clipped over a cross for Alex Moreno to volley in.
Emery took no chances. Luiz, feeling unwell, came off at half time. Ezri Konsa came off after colliding with the posts but his manager said it was nothing serious. Morgan Rogers came on for his debut and skied a wonderful chance to mark it with a goal.
Sheffield United are now 10 points from safety at the bottom.
‘I don’t think there’s anything to take out of it,’ said Wilder. ‘Nothing at all. Outclassed and outfought in every department.’