Matty Cash sends Aston Villa message as Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins savaged
Aston Villa defender Matty Cash admitted their 1-0 Champions League defeat to Monaco on Tuesday (January 21) was “a tough one to take.”
The 27-year-old played the full 90 minutes as Unai Emery’s side sit on the brink of falling out of the automatic qualification spots.
The manager offered a rare critical assessment of his players afterwards, with Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins singled out as Emery seethed at a “horrible night” for his team.
Monaco defender Wilfried Singo opened the scoring in the eighth minute after Emiliano Martinez could only parry Breel Embolo’s initial header directly into his path.
Aston Villa dominated possession from there on out but were unable to break the French side down thanks to a number of heroic saves from Monaco goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki.
The defeat to Monaco sees Aston Villa fall into eighth, the last of the automatic qualification spots in the new Champions League league phase, with 13 points from their seven games.
Brest, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and Sporting, who all have a game in hand over the Premier League side, have the chance to go above them and put them in the play-off positions.
Matty Cash disappointed as Aston Villa in danger of dropping out on automatic spots
The right-back has been key for Villa so far this season, starting 18 of his 19 games across all competitions, scoring one goal, and providing one assist in his 1495 minutes of action.
Clearly frustrated with the defeat to Monaco, Cash took to Instagram to say: “Tough one to take tonight, go again on the weekend.”
Villa are in eighth in the Premier League too, four points off Chelsea in fourth as they seek to qualify for Europe’s elite competition once again.
Emery’s attention will now be squarely on the week as they prepare for a visit from Graham Potter’s West Ham on Sunday (January 26).
In other news, ‘Jhon Duran to force West Ham move’ – Fans in Aston Villa ‘nightmare’ reaction.
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