Aston Villa slipped to a third Premier League defeat across their last six games in the punishing division, away at Fulham on Saturday lunchtime.
It certainly wasn’t a classic, as the two teams could only amass four shots on target combined. But the match winner would be Ryan Sessegnon, as he smashed home a rebound in the 43rd minute to gift Marco Silva’s hosts a slim 1-0 victory.
Villa do look comfortable, sitting in fourth position, as they hunt down Champions League qualification.
Yet, this would’ve been a disappointing loss for the away masses to stomach, all the same, with several underperformers letting their team down at Craven Cottage.
The main Villa underperformers vs Fulham
At a sun-kissed Craven Cottage, Villa fans would have been hopeful for a memorable away day, as we enter into the final few matches of the long Premier League season.
Instead, it was a drab affair, as the likes of Morgan Rogers donning claret and blue never got going in the capital.
Entering this contest with two goals and an assist in his back pocket from games against Sunderland and Bologna, the expectation would’ve been that the lively playmaker would terrorise the Cottagers, as well.
Unfortunately, he would be remembered more for a disastrous performance on the ball, with possession squandered a high 21 times, from 48 touches, with Ollie Watkins failing to link up well with the below-par number 27, subsequently.
Indeed, the Villa veteran could only muster up one on-target effort, before being hauled off for Tammy Abraham.
Alongside the misfiring duo, Emiliano Buendia also wasn’t his usual bright self, with only four of his nine duels won and zero successful dribbles registered.
It’s clear from the overall performance that Villa struggle away from home, with Unai Emery and Co. last winning on their Premier League travels three months ago, when getting the better of Newcastle United.
Villa’s away record since Newcastle
Stat
Villa
Away games without a win
5
Draws
2
Losses
3
Goals scored
3
Goals conceded
8
But regardless of any away-day hoodoo in the air, the West Midlands outfit must be frank with this dud, now, who shouldn’t play another minute of action for the Champions League chasers this season, after another dire showing against Fulham.
Aston Villa star shouldn’t play another minute after Fulham
Several faces in Emery’s camp have become part of the furniture at Villa Park.
Indeed, it would feel strange to see a Villa lineup be announced without the trusty John McGinn popping up, with a staggering 323 appearances under his belt for Emery’s men.
In stark contrast, while Villa fans still love to see McGinn start, nobody would really bat an eyelid if Lucas Digne was omitted for the rest of the campaign, despite the ex-Everton full-back amassing a healthy 177 Villa appearances himself.
He does have six assists next to his name this season, too, but his performances in the Premier League, as of late, have visibly been on the decline, leading to many wondering when the 32-year-old will be upgraded in the Spaniard’s starting XI.
Digne’s performance in numbers
Stat
Digne
Minutes played
90
Touches
47
Accurate passes
17/19 (89%)
Accurate crosses
0/8
Possession lost
15x
Tackles won
1/1
Total duels won
3/5
Against Fulham, Digne was nowhere near his creative best, with possession given away 15 times, from only 47 touches of the ball, meaning he gave up control of the ball every 3.1 touches.
He further couldn’t muster up one single accurate cross, from eight wayward attempts.
Additionally, he only won a weak four tackles and duels all game long, with the ageing defender thankful for the referee for disallowing a Fulham header in the second half, as his marking was very lax.
The West Midlands side arguably needs a reinvention down the flanks, with Matty Cash, who is another long-standing servant of Emery and Co, also offering very little, with possession given away a costly 15 times on his part.
Refreshing the left-back spot with the addition of Ian Maatsen could well be the way forward for the rest of the campaign, with Villa needing to end the season on a bang, rather than a whimper, as more stale displays like the one served up on Saturday might run the risk of a spectacular collapse out of the top five.
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