The Unai Emery revolution continues at Aston Villa, with the Spaniard guiding his side into the quarter-final of the Europa Conference League courtesy of a thumping 4-0 win over Eredivisie giants Ajax on Thursday evening.
With the tie finely poised following the goalless draw away in Amsterdam last week, the Villans took control of proceedings in the early stages, with red-hot marksman Ollie Watkins bagging his 22nd goal in all competitions – and his sixth in Europe this season – inside 25 minutes.
Despite subsequently losing the England international to injury, the hosts – who were no doubt aided by Sivert Mannsverk’s second-half dismissal – utilised their man advantage to brutal effect, with goals from Leon Bailey, John Duran and Moussa Diaby sealing a famous win under the Villa Park lights.
What a way it was to bounce back from their humbling loss to top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, although that’s not to say that it was all rosy for Emery and co on the night, with Morgan Rogers among a handful of starters who struggled to impact proceedings…
Morgan Rogers’ performance in numbers vs Ajax
Plucked from Championship side Middlesbrough back in January after registering 16 goal involvements in the first half of the season, the promising youngster is understandably still finding his feet in his new surroundings, as was evident against the Dutch outfit.
Having not featured during the dismal defeat at the hands of Spurs, Rogers was thrust into the fray from the outset on Thursday evening, the 21-year-old lining up on the left flank as part of a formidable forward line
While the likes of Bailey, Diaby and Watkins all made their mark after getting onto the scoresheet, the young Englishman, meanwhile, was wholly ineffective in that wide berth, having been restricted to a measly total of just 12 touches.
Although the new arrival did enjoy a 100% pass accuracy rate and managed to register two key passes to help spark two openings prior to Watkins’ early header, it was no real surprise to see him hooked at the break, with Emery perhaps holding fears that the winger could see red after picking up an early yellow card
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