UNAI EMERY masterminded a brilliant win over Newcastle on Saturday with Aston Villa employing a clever tactic to outclass their opponents.
Villa are just six points off the top four after beating Toon 3-0 – their seventh win in eight games.
Emery has transformed the team’s fortunes after taking over a 16th-placed side down on their luck after Steven Gerrard’s reign.
And he has done it all with largely the same players, with left-back Alex Moreno the only significant January arrival.
The Spaniard terrorised Newcastle’s right flank on Saturday and produced a clever assist for Ollie Watkins’s first goal – the striker now has 13 goals in his last 14 Premier League games.
Moreno was given license to roam forward to support the Villa midfield, which included up to seven players at times.
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That allowed Villa to overload their opponents while creating space for their key dangermen – Watkins, Emi Buendia and Jacob Ramsey.
Newcastle have been resolute at the back this season and boast the best defensive record in the league, but time and again they were exploited by Buendia and Ramsey.
The midfield duo cleverly picked found space and hurt Newcastle will balls in behind for Watkins to chase, who could have had a hat-trick.
Their runs into the box created chaos, with Watkins and Ramsey linking for the opening goal after 11 minutes.
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Match of the Day pundit Jermaine Jenas was impressed with how Villa’s midfielders complemented one another, with Douglas Luiz and Leonardo Dendoncker also providing protection for the back four.
Jenas said: “They were brilliant, the understanding between them. Newcastle didn’t know what to do with it.
“These little smart intelligent movements that Buendia makes where he gets that space, they all react off it. McGinn goes, Ramsey goes and once they’re in behind you they flood threat box and they look dangerous.
“Their involvement in what Ollie Watkins is now bringing to the table – the fight from McGinn, the cleverness of Buendia, the run from Ramsey, that’s how he’s getting the space in the box to do what he wants to do.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
