BBC pundit wowed by ‘terrific’ Aston Villa star who was let down by his teammates vs Maccabi Tel Aviv
Unai Emery will be furious with his Aston Villa players following a delightful moment from one talented star against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Ollie Watkins was a surprise absentee at Villa Park on Thursday, 6 November, with Donyell Malen given the nod to lead the line, with Evann Guessand and Jadon Sancho either side of him.
With Tyrone Mings sidelined with injury recently, Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres were trusted alongside each other in defence, but it was the left-back who made the biggest impact in the first half.
Ian Maatsen netted just before the half-time whistle, but had it not been for a few unreactive players, the Villans might have already taken the lead, all thanks to the creative spark of Sancho.
Jadon Sancho was a creative force against Maccabi Tel Aviv
Sancho joined Villa on loan from Man United during the summer, and it has taken a long time for the winger to get going properly, but his teammates should have been expecting him to produce chances.
Speaking on TNT Sports, transcribed by BBC Sport (6 November, 8:44pm), Lucy Ward said: “Terrific work from Sancho. It was a great cross. Nobody of an Aston Villa persuasion attacks it.”
Guessand and Malen are not incredibly talented when it comes to winning battles in the air, which would explain why they were late to react, and the decision to bench Watkins might have backfired.
| Jadon Sancho vs Maccabi Tel Aviv | Stats [FotMob] |
| Minutes played | 75 |
| Pass completion | 80% (20/25) |
| Chances created | 2 |
| Successful dribbles | 100% (3/3) |
| Ground duels entered | 8 |
The loanee notched five goals and eight assists during his season-long loan at Chelsea last term, so it should just be a matter of time before he produces the goods at Villa Park.
What has Unai Emery said about Sancho?
Sancho was left slightly embarrassed after being substituted as a substitute against Man City, but Emery quickly addressed the situation as the winger attempted to get back to full fitness.
The manager said: “I am so happy because his impact was good, his electricity, his skill, but then to play more than now, he’s not ready to play 90 minutes. 45 minutes is not easy enough for him, and I am happy and, of course, progressively, he’s getting better and better.”
He lasted much longer in the Europa League, keeping his talents on the left flank for more minutes, but Villa failed to capitalise when they had the chance, narrowly claiming all three points with a first-half strike.
Supporters need to be patient to see the best parts of Sancho, but on Thursday night, there were signs of seeing the winger come to life at Villa Park.