Top five Aston Villa goals of the season (so far)
With football suspended for the foreseeable future, now's the time to look back over the season so far to find some fond memories.
Despite currently being placed in the bottom three, there have been some magic moments involving Aston Villa this season, here we take a look at the top five goals of the season so far...
5. Jack Grealish - Aston Villa 1 Southampton 3
There's some things that fit perfectly; salt and vinegar, tea and biscuits - Jack Grealish and brilliant volleys.
Let's be honest, Villa's skipper knows how to hit a good ball in the air, doesn't he?
You need only look back to that superb Cardiff strike two seasons ago, or the famous thumping effort against Derby on his return to action last season to realise he's accustom to a good volley.
During the disappointing defeat to the Saints at Villa Park, in which John McGinn was ruled out after breaking his ankle, we saw another Grealish special.
Coming from a fairly standard Trezeguet corner kick, the ball was headed out to Villa's main man, and with two touches he dispatched a stunning volley into the far corner to give the home fans something to cheer.
A crying shame it came in a defeat, if this flies in and earned the club a point, or three, you could argue it's worth a place in the top three.
🦁 Jack Grealish
🆚 Southampton
📍 Villa Park
📆 21/12/2019
#AVFC pic.twitter.com/SGxZhAKjBk
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 30, 2019
🦁 Jack Grealish
🆚 Southampton
📍 Villa Park
📆 21/12/2019
#AVFC pic.twitter.com/SGxZhAKjBk
4. Tyrone Mings/Ezri Konsa - Aston Villa 2 Watford 1
Everyone loves a late winner - even if you're not entirely sure which player scored it.
This game had it all too, Troy Deeney had given a surging Watford team the lead at Villa Park - letting every fan in the ground know about it too with a celebration rubbing in his Blues roots at B6.
However, having been soundly beaten at Vicarage Road earlier in the season, this time it was Villa having the last laugh, as Douglas Luiz equalised before some late, late drama unfolded to earn the hosts a huge win.
With Dean Smith's side in the bottom three beneath The Hornets, up popped Ezri Konsa in the dying seconds following a long punt forward - hammering a strike goalwards before clipping Tyrone Mings' boot and beating Ben Foster.
The scenes in B6? Rapturous, emotional, joyous.
Mings eventually claimed the goal, somewhat harshly, but it was a moment to savour - and one which could still mean plenty should the season be played out and Villa survive the drop.
3. Mbwana Samatta - Aston Villa 1 Manchester City 2
There are few bigger stages than a cup final at Wembley - and despite losing on the day, Villa put in a decent account of themselves against Manchester City.
Villa, in the midsts of a poor run, were heading into the game with little confidence - but one man backing himself was new signing Mbwana Samatta, all the way from Tanzania.
With his team 2-0 down and looking like they could be on the wrong end of a drubbing, the striker popped up with a goal which will live long in the memory.
After John Stones' error, Anwar El Ghazi broke through the City lines, crossing for Samatta to head home brilliantly with a diving effort.
A brilliant goal, on a huge stage. Like Grealish's effort against Southampton, if this goal came in a better result, it would be something of Villa folklore.
2. Douglas Luiz - Aston Villa 1 Bournemouth 2
As home debut goals go, you won't see many better than the one delivered by Brazilian Douglas Luiz at the start of this season.
Despite being down 2-0, thanks in part to some serious naivety from the hosts, Villa fans were given something to cheer about in their home opener against the Cherries.
With Villa amping up the pressure to get back into the game, Grealish laid off a brilliantly weighted ball to Luiz from the left flank, which the midfielder duly spanked home in style from 25 yards, clipping the crossbar on the way in.
The goal lifted the roof off a packed Villa Park and has since seen the midfielder urged to shoot whenever he's in sight of an opposition goal.
It proved not to be a one-hit wonder too, with Luiz producing a similarly brilliant strike against Norwich too.
A real shame this strike came in defeat once again, but it's still a goal to look back on in awe.
1. Jack Grealish - Manchester United 2 Aston Villa 2
Like we could pick another goal at number one so far this season?
Jack Grealish has announced himself as a Premier League star and next in line for a Three Lions call-up with his performances for Villa this season - and it's easy to see why after seeing this superb strike against the Red Devils.
Taking on the biggest club in the country, Grealish took to the stage with style from the left flank, and opened the scoring with a wonderful curling strike in the first half.
Latching onto El Ghazi's cross, the skipper took a touch, drifted into the area before brilliantly curling an effort past a hapless David De Gea.
There's no goalkeeper on the planet who could've stopped it flying into the top corner, and it lifted Grealish up yet another level in the eyes of football fans all over.
He might not be at the club forever, but it's a goal which will always be hailed by fans as one of the best from the boyhood fan named skipper.
