There were a lot of positives to take from our defeat to Arsenal at the weekend, but that doesn’t stop me from being disappointed by the result, writes Villa blogger Gregg Williams.
I think its down to the fact that we took the lead but never looked like holding onto it.
In many ways the first half was a carbon copy of our game with Man Utd earlier in the season.
The difference this time was a much improved second half, where we really came at Arsenal and fully deserved a point.
It wasn’t to be, and Martin O’Neill now has to lift the players for next Saturday.
Ashley Young put in another great performance, in an ideal world that would be all the Sunday newspapers would be interested in but instead his online indiscretions also attracted some rather more unwanted attention.
It’s pretty embarrassing for him but on the Pete Doherty scale of celebrity antics Ashley’s chat room performance is barely worth mentioning.
I’m sure that the rest of the squad will give him plenty of stick and Martin O’Neill will have a quite word with him, but that’s all. I won’t be worried unless his form dips, and at the moment there is no sign of that happening.
It just wouldn’t be the FA Cup without playing Manchester United in the 3rd round would it?
All those lower league sides praying for a bumper pay day and an Old Trafford visit, and instead United end up coming to Villa Park… again.
When the draw was made I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
We have an awful record against Utd and for that reason its a horrible draw, but the fact is if you want to win the FA Cup you will have to beat at least one of the top sides at some stage.
It’s about time the law of averages helped us out, surely we have to beat them eventually?
The players need to watch our game with them this season, Bolton’s victory against them recently and our second half performance against Arsenal, and they will see all the evidence they need to see how we can win the match.
Villa fans what do you think?
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4 Comments
Fully deserved a point after taking out the creativity provided by Hleb. Do you feel proud of having earned that point by tackling horrendously and making niggly fouls ?
firstly we didnt earn a point and secondly it was one bad foul thats it. and all the so called ‘niggly’ fouls are commonplace. no big deal
Gregg, the defining moment for me was when Petrov left the field. The shape went and the midfield was not the same. Hleb then came into the game, bossed the midfield and Arsenal came back from a goal down to steal the 3 points. If Petrov had stayed on, who knows what the score would have been?
Yes, Villa played well in second half; but what some of their players were doing, Carew in particular, was a disgrace. Our players never really had any protection from that championchip Ref. He was rather more busy helping Villa to get an equalizer. I can’t remember how many times, he awarded Ashley Young free kick after fre kick, when on seen he was simply out-paced by Sagna.
I admired Villa’s fighting spirit in second halp though.