Villa slump to shock defeat against Go Ahead Eagles
Go Ahead Eagles 2 - 1 Aston Villa
Emiliano Buendia missed a second-half penalty as Aston Villa slumped to a defeat against a spirited Go Ahead Eagles side.
Stadium | De Adelaarshorst
The result leaves Villa seventh in the table, while the Dutch club rise to tenth, also on six points, ahead of Thursday evening’s later fixtures.
Evann Guessand’s early finish looked to have set Unai Emery’s side on course to maintain their perfect record in the competition. But the hosts equalised just before half-time when Mathis Suray’s deflected shot beat Emiliano Martinez, before Mats Deijl put them ahead just after the hour with a neat lift over the Villa goalkeeper.
Buendia then fired over from the spot late on after Dean James was penalised for handball, sparking wild celebrations inside the compact De Adelaarshorst stadium. It was a famous victory for the Eredivisie side, who qualified for Europe by winning the Dutch Cup last season, their first major trophy in 92 years.
For Villa and Emery, it was a deeply frustrating night.
The manager’s decision to rotate his side following Sunday’s Premier League win at Tottenham initially seemed justified as Villa dominated the first half. Home goalkeeper Jari de Busser struggled early on, and Guessand’s opener came after a lapse in his handling.
The Ivorian forward should have doubled Villa’s lead soon after, but De Busser redeemed himself with a close-range save. The keeper then denied Jadon Sancho’s low drive, and with Villa well on top, a second goal seemed inevitable.
Instead, defensive lapses proved costly. Suray’s equaliser deflected off Tyrone Mings, and Deijl was left completely unmarked to run onto a long ball and seal the upset – a reminder that even Europe’s unheralded sides can punish lapses in concentration.
Emery's side pay for early wastefulness
Quite how Aston Villa lost this match from such a position of control will be a major concern for Unai Emery.
For much of the first half, the Spaniard watched his side squander chance after chance against opponents who sit 12th in the Dutch top flight.
Emiliano Buendia, Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings all passed up clear opportunities to put the game beyond reach, and Villa’s wastefulness allowed the hosts to grow in belief and fight their way back into the contest.
Go Ahead Eagles had barely ventured into Villa territory, and the shot count stood at 12 to three in the visitors’ favour when Mathis Suray found the equaliser.
Alarmingly for Emery, once his team lost control, they never managed to regain it.
