Analysis: Familiar story as Aston Villa's attack once more fails to fire

Instead, the first Premier League fixture for which Unai Emery had all of his new weapons available produced the most frustrating result of the season to date, a 1-1 draw against an Ipswich Town team who arrived on a four-match losing streak and played for most of the afternoon a man down after Axel Tuanzebe’s 40th minute dismissal.

Only once did Villa’s high-powered forward line find a way through the visiting defences, Ollie Watkins converting after Marcus Rashford’s free-kick had cannoned back off the bar.

As has so frequently been the case this term, one goal for Villa was not enough to take victory, Liam Delap’s poacher’s finish during a rare Ipswich foray forward meaning Watkins’ 11th league goal of the campaign was actually a rescue act.

The hero of the hour, it has to be noted, was visiting goalkeeper Alex Palmer. The Kidderminster-raised keeper, making his Premier League debut following his deadline day move from Albion, produced at least two saves which bordered on world-class territory, while also denying the hosts on several other occasions. Palmer’s performance was certainly good enough to fit a narrative of Villa simply being unfortunate to run into a goalkeeper enjoying one of the best days of his career.

The trouble is it also chimes with another common theme of Villa’s campaign, that of a team which doesn’t score anywhere near so many goals as it should, particularly at home.

Ipswich can be added to the list of Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and West Ham in which Emery’s men have paid the price for not taking their chances. For all Palmer’s brilliance on Saturday, he really should have been beaten by Watkins when the striker went through on goal in the first half. Later, substitute Marco Asensio lifted another gilt-edged chance over the bar.

Granted, their inability to keep a clean sheet, or go through a first half without an injury requiring a reshuffle, does not help. Boubacar Kamara, already moved from his normal midfield position due to shortages at the back, became the fifth Villa player in consecutive matches to be forced off before the break.

But with Asensio, Rashford and Donyell Malen added to a squad which already contained Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey, there is a sense Villa should have too much in attack to make up for the disruption and defensive shortcomings. Instead, their tally of 35 goals from 25 matches is only the 12th-best in the division, while recent weeks have seen them score only twice in matches against West Ham, Wolves and Ipswich, three of the worst defensive units, yielding a return of just two points which has left them treading water in the race for a top-five finish. A 12-match unbeaten home run since losing to Arsenal in August has, meanwhile, contained as many draws as wins. 

It is not to say Saturday did not offer some cause for encouragement on the attacking front. Bad miss aside, Asensio linked up well with his team-mates and was also among those denied by Palmer, who pushed his low shot destined for the bottom corner around the post. Malen, while also failing to make clean contact with an inviting Watkins first half cross, showed some moments of quality during a bright start to the afternoon.

Rashford’s performance was comfortably the biggest positive. There was, admittedly, cause to question whether Emery had moved a little early when he opted to bring the Manchester United loanee off the bench in favour of Jacob Ramsey at the break, after Villa had ended the first half with momentum following Tuanzebe’s dismissal. The changes, which also saw Ian Maatsen replace Lucas Digne at left-back, disrupted the short-term rhythm and it was in that period Ipswich scored.

With Rashford’s own display, however, there was plenty to admire. After testing Palmer early with a curling effort, he made the equaliser with a thundering free-kick which was inches from delivering his first Villa goal. It was Rashford who then looked most likely to conjure a winner, his driving runs setting up both chances for Asensio before, deep in stoppage time, a run and cross saw Palmer produce his best save of the day after a ricochet off former Baggies team-mate Conor Townsend sent the ball sailing toward goal.

Most encouraging, for a player so often criticised for his work-rate during the past year at United, was the sight of Rashford racing back 30 yards to make a recovery tackle and through all the frustration encompassing Saturday’s performance and result, it was possible to glimpse just how good this new-look Villa attack will be when it all comes together.

Emery, however, needs that to happen almost immediately. The next week or so may prove pivotal to his team’s hopes of repeating last season’s achievement of qualifying for the Champions League through the Premier League. Having again dropped points in a match they would have entered expecting to win, it will require big performances against Liverpool and Chelsea over the coming days to redress the balance.

Victory on Saturday would have been the perfect springboard into those matches and given the chance to potentially enter next weekend’s visit of Chelsea level on points with the London club. But as they have for too much of this season, Villa have left themselves with it all to do.