Game #5453
Aston Villa
Saturday, 25 August 2018
Drew
4th (+1)
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟨 🟨 🟨
Championship
Attendance: 33,405
Reading
Villa Park
Villa draw for a third successive game but remain unbeaten in five Championship matches.
Aston Villa
1-1
Reading
Assist(s) | Anwar El Ghazi | 51’ |
KEY MAN
Alan Hutton under pressure, 25 August 2018
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
Saturday, 25 August 2018
🟢 | 1’ Debut, Anwar El Ghazi
🕒 | HT Aston Villa 0-0 Reading
🔁 | 46’ Sub off, Jack Grealish, Sub on, Conor Hourihane
⚽ | 51’ Goal, 1-0, Ahmed Elmohamady, Assist by Anwar El Ghazi
🔁 | 67’ Sub off, Anwar El Ghazi, Sub on, Albert Adomah
🔁 | 90’+1 Sub off, Jonathan Kodija, Sub on, Neil Taylor
🥅 | 90'+3 Goal, 1-1, (Reading, pen), Sam Baldock
🕒 | FT Aston Villa 1-1 Reading
ON THIS DAY
Winger Anwar El Ghazi made his Villa debut aged 23 after joining on a season long loan from LOSC Lille creating an assist for Ahmed Elmohamady’s second goal of the season on 51’.
Villa had now drawn the last 3 Championship fixtures vs. Brentford, Reading and Ipswich and had only managed to beat Hull City and Wigan Athletic. At the season end of those opponents Brentford would hold the highest league position of 11th, with the remaining sides finishing 20th, 24th and relegated, 13th and 18th.
The disenchantment with Steve Bruce’s approach and results was growing as was the Villa boss’s intolerance of criticism.
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1995-96
Reading
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: ❌
FA Cup Winners: ❌
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: ❌
FIXTURE HISTORY
Reading
Previous 5 vs. Reading: 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟩
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 2018-19 |
Matchday | #6 |
League Game | #5 |
Manager Game | #95 |
Saturday, 25 August 2018
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Steve Bruce | 🏴 | Northumberland, 2016-2018
Referee: Darren England | 🏴 | Doncaster, 2015-
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟨 0-0
FT Score: 🟨 1-1
FT Result: 🟨 Drew
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟨 🟨 🟨
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Darren England | 🏴 | Doncaster, 2015-
Previous 5: 🟩 🟨
Last Match: 🟨 20 Feb 18, Villa 1-1 Preston (h)
Cards: 🟨 🟨
Assistants: James Mainwaring, Billy Smallwood
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Glenn Whelan drops out with Albert Adomah as Anwar El Ghazi, making his Villa debut, and Birkir Bjarnason come into the team.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age: | 27.86 |
Oldest Player: M Mile Jedinak | 🇦🇺 | 34.08 |
Youngest Player: CB Axel Tuanzebe | 🏴 | 20.78 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Steve Bruce | 🏴 |
Paul Clement | 🏴 |
Aston Villa
GK Ørjan Nyland | 🇳🇴 |
RB Ahmed Elmohamady | 🇪🇬 | ⚽ |
RB Alan Hutton | 🏴 |
CB James Chester | 🏴 |
CB Axel Tuanzebe | 🏴 |
M Mile Jedinak | 🇦🇺 |
M John McGinn | 🏴 |
M Birkir Bjarnason | 🇮🇸 |
M Jack Grealish | 🏴 | 🔁 |
W Anwar El Ghazi | 🇳🇱 | 🟢 | 🔥 | 🔁 |
CF Jonathan Kodija | 🇨🇮 | 🔁 |
Reading
GK Vito Mannone | 🇮🇹 |
RB Andy Yiadom | 🇬🇭 |
CB Liam Moore | 🇯🇲 |
CB Tiago Ilori (ex) | 🇵🇹 |
LB Tyler Blackett | 🏴 |
M Leandro Bacuna (ex) | 🇨🇼 |
M David Meyler | 🇮🇪 |
W Modou Barrow | 🇬🇲 | 🔁 |
CF Sam Baldock | 🏴 | ⚽ |
CF Jón Böðvarsson | 🇮🇸 | 🔁 |
F Sone Aluko | 🇳🇬 | 🔁 |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 M Conor Hourihane | 🇮🇪 | for M Jack Grealish | 🏴 | 46’ |
🔁 W Albert Adomah | 🇬🇭 | for W Anwar El Ghazi | 🇳🇱 | 67’ |
🔁 LB Neil Taylor | 🏴 | for CF Jonathan Kodija | 🇨🇮 | 90’+1 |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | W Yakou Méïté | 🇨🇮 | 🟨 | for W Modou Barrow | 🇬🇲 | 46’ |
🔁 | W Josh Sims | 🏴 | 🟨 | for F Sone Aluko | 🇳🇬 | 67’ |
🔁 | CF Marc McNulty | 🏴 | for CF Jón Böðvarsson | 🇮🇸 | 81’ |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK André Moreira | 🇵🇹 |
CB Tommy Elphick | 🏴 |
M Glenn Whelan | 🇮🇪 |
F Rushian Hepburn-Murphy | 🏴 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Sam Walker | 🏴 |
CB John O'Shea | 🇮🇪 |
M John Swift | 🏴 |
M Liam Kelly | 🇮🇪 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI Cost: £44.55m
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 5/11
Homegrown: 1/11
Subs Cost: £6.30m
Team Cost: £50.85m
Squad Cost: £55.89m
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 8/18
Homegrown: 2/18
MATCHDAY SQUAD
GK Ørjan Nyland | 🇳🇴 | £2.70m |
GK André Moreira | 🇵🇹 | Loan |
RB Alan Hutton | 🏴 | £4.05m |
RB Ahmed Elmohamady | 🇪🇬 | £0.99m |
LB Neil Taylor | 🏴 | Exchange |
CB James Chester | 🏴 | £8.37m |
CB Tommy Elphick | 🏴 | £3.51m |
CB Axel Tuanzebe | 🏴 | Loan |
M Mile Jedinak | 🇦🇺 | £4.14m |
M Conor Hourihane | 🇮🇪 | £3.15m |
M John McGinn | 🏴 | £2.79m |
M Birkir Bjarnason | 🇮🇸 | £1.80m |
M Glenn Whelan | 🇮🇪 | £1.53m |
M Jack Grealish | 🏴 | Youth |
W Anwar El Ghazi | 🇳🇱 | £8.10m |
W Albert Adomah | 🇬🇭 | £3.15m |
CF Jonathan Kodjia | 🇨🇮 | £11.61m |
F Rushian Hepburn-Murphy | 🏴 | Youth |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI Cost: £20.75m
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 2/11
Homegrown: ⭕/11
Subs Cost: £1.16m
Team Cost: £21.91m
Squad Cost: £21.91m
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 6/18
Homegrown: 1/18
MATCHDAY SQUAD
GK Vito Mannone | 🇮🇹 | £1.98m |
GK Sam Walker | 🏴 | Free |
LB Tyler Blackett | 🏴 | £1.54m |
RB Andy Yiadom | 🇬🇭 | Free |
CB Tiago Ilori (ex) | 🇵🇹 | £3.70m |
CB Liam Moore | 🇯🇲 | £0.99m |
CB John O'Shea | 🇮🇪 | Free |
M Leandro Bacuna (ex) | 🇨🇼 | £1.29m |
M Liam Kelly | 🇮🇪 | Youth |
M David Meyler | 🇮🇪 | Free |
M John Swift | 🏴 | Free |
W Modou Barrow | 🇬🇲 | £1.46m |
W Yakou Méïté | 🇨🇮 | Free |
W Josh Sims | 🏴 | Loan |
F Sone Aluko | 🇳🇬 | £6.43m |
CF Sam Baldock | 🏴 | £3.36m |
CF Marc McNulty | 🏴 | £1.16m |
CF Jón Böðvarsson | 🇮🇸 | Free |
UNAVAILABLE
Injury | 2 |
CF Keinan Davis | 🏴 |
F Scott Hogan | 🇮🇪 |
Out on Loan | 4 |
M Gary Gardner | 🏴 | Small Heath
GK Jed Steer | 🏴 | Charlton
CB Easah Suliman | 🏴 | Emmen
RB Mitch Clark | 🏴 | Port Vale
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Abbreviations:
GK : Goalkeeper
LB, RB, FB : Left Back, Right Back, Full Back
CB, D : Centre Back, Defender
M, W : Midfielder. Winger
F, CF : Forward, Centre Forward
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
DEBUT APPEARANCES
W Anwar El Ghazi | 🇳🇱 |
FINAL APPEARANCES
MATCH STATS
Possession F | 59%
Possession A | 41%
Shots F | 21
Shots A | 10
Shots on Target F | 8
Shots on Target A | 7
Corners F | 4
Corners A | 9
Fouls F | 9
Fouls A | 13
TABLE
PROGRAMME



MATCHDAY QUOTES
*Villa boss Steve Bruce*
“We’ve got to eradicate the individual errors that are starting to creep in and cost us, and the basics of the Championship are we’ve done enough to win two games there.
“We didn’t get the second one, but look like we’re going around the right route. We’ve had a decent start, it could’ve been a great start.
“When he [El Ghazi] adapts to playing in England I’m sure he’ll be a very decent player.
“He’s got very decent ability, which you’ve just all seen. He’ll be an asset to us.”
*BBC Sport*
Saturday, 25 August 2018
*Steve Bruce said his Aston Villa side created enough chances to “win two games” after they were denied victory against winless Reading by Sam Baldock’s 93rd-minute penalty.*
James Chester headed against the bar in a first half dominated by the hosts and led when debutant winger Anwar El Ghazi’s cross was headed home by Ahmed Elmohamady.
But they became nervy late on, Orjan Nyland tipping Sam Baldock’s shot onto the bar from just three yards before the Reading striker equalised from the spot after Chester brought down Josh Sims.
“Who would want to do my flaming job? I’ve had Chester for the best part of six years and I’ve never seen him make a challenge like that,” Bruce told BBC WM 95.6.
“The cardinal error when you’re a defender - you never go to the ground, not in the penalty area.”
Villa lost playmaker Jack Grealish at half-time - to what Bruce described as a “bad dead leg” - and, while the home side had 21 shots to Reading’s 10, they had only one more on target.
Bruce’s side have drawn three Championship games in a row, while Paul Clement’s Royals have picked up two away draws in four days to get off the mark.
The late drama went in stark contrast to both sides’ midweek results, when it was Villa who scored a 95th-minute leveller against Brentford, while Reading spurned a two-goal advantage at Blackburn.
“We’ve got to eradicate the individual errors that are starting to creep in and cost us, and the basics of the Championship are we’ve done enough to win two games there,” added Bruce.
“We didn’t get the second one, but look like we’re going around the right route. We’ve had a decent start, it could’ve been a great start.”
Bruce’s latest addition Yannick Bolasie - signed on a season-long loan from Everton earlier on Saturday - was watching in the Villa Park stands but it was another recent acquisition in Dutchman El Ghazi who caught the eye with some neat footwork and an in-swinging ball for Elmohamady’s back-post header.
“When he adapts to playing in England I’m sure he’ll be a very decent player,” said Bruce.
“He’s got very decent ability, which you’ve just all seen. He’ll be an asset to us.”