Europa Conference League: Aston Villa 4 Ajax 0 (4-0 agg) - Report
The only concern as Villa reached their first European quarter-final for 26 years was it may have come at a cost.
Ollie Watkins set Unai Emery’s men on their way to victory over Ajax with his 22nd goal of the season but then succumbed to a knee injury sustained early in the second leg of this Europa League last-16 tie.
Emery later played down fears of a serious problem, claiming the club's top scorer might even be fit to play in Sunday's Premier League match at West Ham.
That will come as a relief to home supporters who held their breath in unison when Watkins, included in Gareth Southgate's latest England squad earlier on Thursday, writhed on the ground after sliding in to challenge Ajax goalkeeper Diant Ramaj.
The striker showed his toughness by coming back on after being bandaged up, heading home Douglas Luiz's corner before the pain became too much.
With Villa's season still being fought on two fronts, he is the last player they can afford to lose for any period of time.
Further goals from Leon Bailey, Jhon Duran and Moussa Diaby, the latter two netting after Sivert Mannsverk had seen red for the visitors, ensured Villa’s progress after a performance which proved the perfect tonic following Sunday's rather sobering 4-0 league defeat to Tottenham.
Having been rather listless in last week’s 0-0 opening leg a week previously, Villa were simply too strong for Ajax this time around.
Emery, who had made changes for the match in Amsterdam, put out pretty much his strongest possible team for the return.
“This is what Villa Park was made for,” the Villa boss had written in the programme. He backed it up with a selection which included Bailey and Diaby paired together for the first time in nearly two months. Both were impressive, with the latter delivering his most complete performance for months.
Ajax mustered only one real chance when Brian Brobbey saw his shot cleared off the line by Matty Cash. Otherwise, they struggled, with England international Jordan Henderson serenaded in sarcastic fashion by Villa’s support on his first club match back on English soil.
A heavy rain shower greeted the light show which formed part of Villa’s pre-match entertainment and a slower than normal pitch seemed to be causing problems for Ajax keeper Ramaj.
He was fortunate to get away with one short pass with an eager Watkins taking too heavy a touch as he looked to pounce. When Ramaj dallied in, the striker slid in, jarring his left knee as he made contact with the keeper’s ankle.
It was a challenge worthy of the booking it received but the bigger concern for Villa was the pain Watkins was in. He held his shirt over his face as the home side’s medical staff assessed the situation but remarkably, after having his knee bandaged, he was back on and soon scoring the opener.
Ramaj recovered to save after Diaby had beaten him to Bailey’s through ball but when Luiz swung in the corner, Watkins rose highest at the near post to glance a header into the far corner.
His night would last just another nine minutes but Villa continued to look the more threatening team, Morgan Rogers sending an effort over the bar from distance.
But the hosts were given a warning the tie was far from over on the stroke of halt-time when the hosts got in behind the back and Cash cleared Brobbey’s goalbound shot off the line.
There was another nervy moment early in the second half when McGinn lost possession and Kristian Hlynsson went tumbling in the box, referee Orel Grinfeeld waving away penalty claims.
Next it was Villa’s turn to be frustrated by the Israeli official as Alex Moreno crossed and Duran, with just Ramaj to beat, appeared to get a shove in the back from Jorrel Hato.
A swift VAR check confirmed Grinfeeld’s decision not to award a spot-kick but within seconds Villa had their second in any case. Sivert Mannsverk’s pass out of defence only found Douglas Luiz and he fed Bailey, who feinted inside Hato before turning outside and sliding a finish inside the far post. Villa had breathing room.
Duran was suddenly at the centre of the action, heading straight at Ramaj from close range and also shooting wide. When Mannsverk pulled him back as he looked to reach McGinn’s through ball, it earned the visiting midfielder his second booking and for the second week running, Ajax were down to 10.
Duran killed any chance of a comeback when he scored Villa’s third with 15 minutes to go, hammering a shot off the underside of the bar, the ball bouncing down over the line. Devyne Rensch, injured trying to stop the attack, became the third Ajax player forced off after Ahmetcan Kaplan and Josip Sutalo on a bruising night for the visitors.
Diaby, called up France earlier in the day, got his reward for a strong performance when he lashed home after exchanging passes with Youri Tielemans.
Villa will hope this was a performance to boost their record signing’s confidence, even though all eyes remain on Watkins for now.
Villa (4-4-2): Martinez, Cash, Carlos (Lenglet 73), Torres, Moreno, Bailey (Iroegbunam 73), McGinn, Luiz (Luiz 82), Rogers (Tielemans HT), Diaby, Watkins (Duran 33) Subs not used: Digne, Kesler-Hayden, Iroegbunam, Gauci (gk), Olsen (gk).
Ajax (3-4-3): Ramaj, Sutalo (Gaaei 69), Kaplan (Akpom 39), Hato, Rensch (Tahirovic 78), Henderson, Mannsverk, Sosa, Hlynsson, Brobbey, Taylor Subs not used: Borges, Medic, Rijkoff, Van Den Boomen, Vos, Fitz-Jim, Godts, Rulli (gk), Pasveer (gk).
