Aston Villa 1 Burnley 1 - Report

Last night’s 1-1 draw saw Villa finish with a record of just six wins in front of their own supporters, a return nowhere near good enough for a team with aspirations of challenging for European football.

Their failure to beat relegation-threatened Burnley could in some respects be blamed on Nick Pope, the Clarets keeper pulling off a series of saves including a stop of the season contender to deny Bertrand Traore late on to ensure his team claimed a point which took them out of the drop zone.

But not for the first time Gerrard’s men were their own worst enemies, Emi Buendia guilty of a needless foul on Maxwel Cornet to allow Ashley Barnes, who had earlier escaped censure for elbowing Tyrone Mings, to put the strugglers ahead from the spot.

Buendia quickly made amends by netting an equaliser but a winner proved elusive for Villa, who would have lost but for an equally fine save from Emi Martinez to deny Connor Roberts and a better block from Mings to stop Wout Weghorst netting on the follow-up.

Martinez passed a late fitness test in order to start but there were still four changes to Villa’s line-up, the most intriguing of which saw Carney Chukwuemeka handed a second Premier League start of the season.

The 18-year-old might have opened the scoring inside 70 seconds had he reacted a split-second quicker to Buendia’s cross which bounced invitingly across the face of Burnley’s goal, Ollie Watkins also unable to get a decisive touch.

Gerrard had warned his team to be ready for a battle. The swinging arm from Barnes which caught Mings in the face surely pushed the boundaries but was deemed acceptable by referee Paul Tierney and VAR John Brooks, much to the Villa manager’s disbelief.

Jacob Ramsey, making his first start since returning from injury, was also left complaining after being caught late by Jack Cork, though it didn’t seem to have much effect as he looked one of Villa’s brightest players in the early stages, seeing a shot blocked by James Tarkowski after a powerful run forward.

John McGinn brought the first save of the night from Pope with a curling effort the Burnley keeper pushed round the post.

The visitors’ biggest threat came from set pieces and when a corner fell kindly to Dwight McNeil his shot looked to be heading in before being turned over the bar by the head of Matty Cash.

It was Villa looking more threatening and when McGinn tried his luck from distance for a second time, striking a half volley from just outside the box, Pope again demonstrated his reflexes by tipping it over the bar.

But the hosts were otherwise struggling to carve out chances and as the half wore on were guilty of conceding too many needless free-kicks. None was so clumsy or needless, however, as Buendia’s challenge to concede the penalty shortly before the break. The Argentine knew his error instantly, throwing his gaze to the skies. Countryman Martinez could provide no salvation, Barnes holding his nerve to send the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.

Instead, Buendia made amends himself within three minutes of the restart. Racing on to meet McGinn’s cross ahead of Roberts, his right-footed volley had too much power for Pope, the ball bouncing off the turf and in under the keeper’s arm.

Villa were starting to push on and Kevin Long went in the book for tripping Watkins. But penetrating the visiting backline was proving tricky and it was Martinez who made the next save, diving low to his right to keep out Josh Brownhill’s low drive.

The hosts then survived a VAR check for a penalty when the ball appeared to strike Lucas Digne on the upper arm, before Watkins brought another smart stop from Pope and Bertrand Traore, on for a rare substitute appearance, thumped a shot wide from just outside the box.

Having already thrown Coutinho into the fray, Gerrard’s final call was to bring on Danny Ings and the striker almost delivered with his first touch against his former club, hammering a shot narrowly wide from McGinn’s knockdown.

Burnley, knowing a point would be enough to take them out of the drop zone, were starting to get deeper but when Chambers found the head of a Traore with a pinpoint cross, Pope somehow kept out the header with his right glove.

It was a stunning save then matched by Martinez at the other end, who reacted superbly to keep out Roberts’ near post flick, Tyrone Mings then hurling himself in the way of Wout Weghorst’s follow-up with the goal gaping.

Pope denied Ings one-on-one before Burnley saw out stoppage time a man down after Matt Lowton introduced late off the bench, was shown a straight red card for a lunge on Chambers.

Teams

Villa (4-3-3): Martinez, Cash, Chambers, Mings, Digne, McGinn, Luiz, Ramsey (Coutinho 71), Buendia, Chukwuemeka (Traore 57), Watkins (Ings 78) Subs not used: Sanson, Young, Nakamba, Iroegbunam, Feeney, Olsen (gk).

Burnley (5-3-2): Pope, Roberts, Collins, Tarkowski, Long, Taylor, Brownhill, Cork, McNeil (Lennon 79), Barnes (Weghorst 71), Cornet (Lowton 85) Subs not used: Stephens, Bardsley, Thomas, Dodgson, Costelloe, Hennessey (gk).