Game #5523
Saturday, 28 December 2019
Attendance: 21,348
Lost
Premier League
18th (-)
Watford
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟥 🟩 🟥
Vicarage Road
Villa's worst performance of the season sees humiliation at Vicarage Road.
Watford
3-0
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | None
KEY MAN
Wesley can't find a way through, 28 December 2019
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
🥅 | 42’ Goal, 0-1, (Watford), Troy Deeney
🕒 | HT Watford 1-0 Aston Villa
🔁 | 46’ Sub off, Jota, Sub on, Anwar El Ghazi
🟥 | 57’ Sending off, (Watford), Adrian Mariappa
🔁 | 66’ Sub off, Matt Targett, Sub on, Frédéric Guilbert
🥅 | 67’ Goal, 0-2, (Watford, pen), Troy Deeney
🥅 | 71’ Goal, 0-3, (Watford), Ismaïla Sarr
🔁 | 73’ Sub off, Henri Lansbury, Sub on, Jonathan Kodjia
🟨 | 90’+6 Booking, Jack Grealish
🕒 | FT Watford 3-0 Aston Villa
ON THIS DAY
Villa's difficulties in their first season back in the Premier League reach a new high as they are heavily beaten by 10-man relegation rivals Watford. Having shaken up the midfield Dean Smith had exposed the relative weakness (and slowness) of the available back up to the First XI.
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1995-96
Watford
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: ❌
FA Cup Winners: ❌
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: ❌
FIXTURE HISTORY
Watford
Previous 5 vs. Watford: 🟩 🟨 🟩 🟥 🟥
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 2019-20 |
Matchday | #24 |
League Game | #20 |
Manager Game | #62 |
Saturday, 28 December 2019
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Dean Smith | 🏴 | West Bromwich, 2018-2021
Referee: Simon Hooper | 🏴 | Wiltshire, 2008-
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟥 0-1
FT Score: 🟥 0-3
FT Result: 🟥 Lost
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟥 🟩 🟥
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Simon Hooper | 🏴 | Wiltshire, 2008-
Previous 5: 🟩 🟨 🟩 🟥 🟨
Last Match: 🟨 28 Nov 2018, Villa 5-5 Forest (h)
Cards: 🟥 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨
Assistants: Simon Bennett, Derek Eaton
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Villa shake up the midfield bringing in Conor Hourihane, Henri Lansbury (2nd League start) and Jota (4th League start) to replace wingers Anwar El Ghazi, Trézéguet and midfielder Marvelous Nakamba who are all relegated to the bench. Centre back James Chester is promoted to the bench at the expense of Björn Engels who drops out of the squad entirely.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age: | 26.62 |
Substitute Average Age: | 26.63 |
Oldest Player: GK Tom Heaton | 🏴 | 33.73 |
Youngest Player: M Douglas Luiz | 🇧🇷 | 21.65 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Dean Smith | 🏴 |
Nigel Pearson | 🏴 |
Aston Villa
GK Tom Heaton | 🏴 |
RB Ahmed Elmohamady | 🇪🇬 |
CB Ezri Konsa | 🏴 |
CB Kortney Hause | 🏴 |
LB Matt Targett | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M Henri Lansbury | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M Douglas Luiz | 🇧🇷 |
M Conor Hourihane | 🇮🇪 |
M Jack Grealish | 🏴 | 🟨 |
W Jota | 🇪🇸 | 🔁 |
CF Wesley | 🇧🇷 |
Watford
GK Ben Foster | 🏴 |
CB Adrian Mariappa | 🇯🇲 | 🟥 |
CB Craig Cathcart | 🇬🇧 | 🔁 |
CB Christian Kabasele | 🇧🇪 |
RB Kiko Femenía | 🇪🇸 |
M Abdoulaye Doucouré | 🇲🇱 |
M Will Hughes | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M Étienne Capoue | 🇫🇷 | 🟨 |
W Ismaïla Sarr | 🇸🇳 | ⚽ | 🟨 |
CF Gerard Deulofeu | 🇪🇸 |
CF Troy Deeney | 🏴 | ⚽ | ⚽ | 🟨 |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 W Anwar El Ghazi | 🇳🇱 | for W Jota | 🇪🇸 | 46’ |
🔁 RB Frédéric Guilbert | 🇫🇷 | for LB Matt Targett | 🏴 | 66' |
🔁 CF Jonathan Kodjia | 🇨🇮 | for M Henri Lansbury | 🏴 | 73' |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | M Nathaniel Chalobah | 🏴 | 🔁 | for M Will Hughes | 🏴 | 46’ |
🔁 | CB Craig Dawson | 🏴 | for M Nathaniel Chalobah | 🏴 | 60’ |
🔁 | CB Adam Masina | 🇲🇦 | for CB Craig Cathcart | 🇬🇧 | 85’ |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Ørjan Nyland | 🇳🇴 |
CB James Chester | 🏴 |
M Marvelous Nakamba | 🇿🇼 |
W Trézéguet | 🇪🇬 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Heurelho Gomes | 🇧🇷 |
M Domingos Quina | 🇵🇹 |
CF Andre Gray | 🇯🇲 |
CF Isaac Success | 🇳🇬 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI Cost: £85.50m
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 6/11
Homegrown: 1/11
Subs Cost: £24.21m
Team Cost: £109.71m
Squad Cost: £140.58m
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 7/18
Homegrown: 1/18
MATCHDAY SQUAD
GK Tom Heaton | 🏴 | £7.92m |
GK Ørjan Nyland | 🇳🇴 | £2.70m |
LB Matt Targett | 🏴 | £14.04m |
RB Frédéric Guilbert | 🇫🇷 | £4.50m |
RB Ahmed Elmohamady | 🇪🇬 | £0.99m |
CB Ezri Konsa | 🏴 | £11.97m |
CB James Chester | 🏴 | £8.37m |
CB Kortney Hause | 🏴 | £2.70m |
M Douglas Luiz | 🇧🇷 | £15.12m |
M Marvelous Nakamba | 🇿🇼 | £10.80m |
M Conor Hourihane | 🇮🇪 | £3.15m |
M Henri Lansbury | 🏴 | £3.06m |
M Jack Grealish | 🏴 | Youth |
W Trézéguet | 🇪🇬 | £9.00m |
W Anwar El Ghazi | 🇳🇱 | £8.10m |
W Jota | 🇪🇸 | £4.05m |
CF Wesley | 🇧🇷 | £22.50m |
CF Jonathan Kodjia | 🇨🇮 | £11.61m |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI Cost: £70.38m
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 4/11
Homegrown: ⭕/11
Subs Cost: £14.84m
Team Cost: £85.22m
Squad Cost: £116.52m
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 6/18
Homegrown: ⭕/18
MATCHDAY SQUAD
GK Ben Foster | 🏴 | £2.40m |
GK Heurelho Gomes | 🇧🇷 | Free |
CB Christian Kabasele | 🇧🇪 | £5.96m |
CB Craig Dawson | 🏴 | £5.15m |
CB Adam Masina | 🇲🇦 | £4.29m |
CB Adrian Mariappa | 🇯🇲 | Free |
CB Craig Cathcart | 🇬🇧 | Free |
RB Kiko Femenía | 🇪🇸 | Free |
M Abdoulaye Doucouré | 🇲🇱 | £9.09m |
M Will Hughes | 🏴 | £7.80m |
M Étienne Capoue | 🇫🇷 | £7.64m |
M Nathaniel Chalobah | 🏴 | £5.40m |
M Domingos Quina | 🇵🇹 | £0.94m |
W Ismaïla Sarr | 🇸🇳 | £25.72m |
CF Andre Gray | 🇯🇲 | £17.50m |
CF Isaac Success | 🇳🇬 | £12.86m |
CF Gerard Deulofeu | 🇪🇸 | £11.15m |
CF Troy Deeney | 🏴 | £0.62m |
UNAVAILABLE
Injury | 4 |
CB Tyrone Mings | 🏴 | Unknown
GK Jed Steer | 🏴 | Unknown
CF Keinan Davis | 🏴 | Hamstring
M John McGinn | 🏴 | Ankle
Out on Loan | 6 |
GK Matija Šarkić | 🇲🇪 | Livingston
RB James Bree | 🏴 | Luton
M Jake Doyle-Hayes | 🇮🇪 | Cheltenham
CF Rushian Hepburn-Murphy | 🏴 | Derby
CF Scott Hogan | 🇮🇪 | Stoke
F Callum O’Hare | 🏴 | Coventry
Not Selected | 4 |
GK Lovre Kalinić | 🇭🇷 |
LB Neil Taylor | 🏴 |
CB James Chester | 🏴 |
CB Björn Engels | 🇧🇪 |
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
FINAL APPEARANCES
MATCH STATS
Possession F | 49%
Possession A | 51%
Shots F | 19
Shots A | 11
Shots on Target F | 6
Shots on Target A | 2
Corners F | 6
Corners A | 3
Fouls F | 16
Fouls A | 9
TABLE

PROGRAMME



MATCHDAY QUOTES
*Villa boss Dean Smith*
“I read the players the riot act at half-time. We weren’t good enough. We lost the game in the first half. We created the best chance before the break, Wesley should probably score.
“Their work-rate was better than ours, which is the biggest disappointment. In the second half, we started to get on the front foot but didn’t create chances.
“When the other team go down to 10 men and the score is 1-0, you’ve got a chance but unfortunately other incidents happened and they scored a second and third.”
“Matt Targett goes down with a hamstring injury.”
“I understand officials can only stop play because of a head injury. Jack Grealish doesn’t know Targett has done his hamstring. We lose the ball and Watford play on.
“I still don’t think it should be a penalty. It was shoulder to shoulder and Deeney goes down easily. Targett is playing Deeney onside, sitting on the floor.
“For the third goal, Jack Grealish gets fouled in front of us. The fourth official says their player got the ball but he doesn’t.
“The referee could look at the screen but doesn’t. There’s a screen the fella [referee] can walk over to, look at the incident and say ‘I made a boo boo’.
“But we don’t do that in the Premier League. We go to Stockley Park [where VAR is based] where they haven’t got a feel for the game. They just make a decision looking at one incident.”
“I’m frustrated with that but more frustrated with the players.”
*BBC Sport*
*Saturday, 28 December 2019*
Watford’s revival under new manager Nigel Pearson continued as the Hornets survived being reduced to 10 men to beat relegation rivals Aston Villa 3-0 and move within three points of safety.
The Hornets played for more than half an hour with 10 men after defender Adrian Mariappa was sent off following two yellow cards in the space of six minutes.
Watford were leading 1-0 when Mariappa was sent off - Hornets captain Troy Deeney reacting quickest to slot home after Tom Heaton had palmed away Abdoulaye Doucoure’s shot following a mistake by Ezri Konsa.
Deeney doubled the lead from the penalty spot after he was fouled by Douglas Luiz before the impressive Ismaila Sarr added the third from Etienne Capoue’s cross.
Villa were upset the penalty for Watford’s second goal was awarded as defender Matt Targett was down injured, while the visitors were also aggrieved about the third goal as they felt Jack Grealish was fouled by Capoue in the build-up.
However, Sarr’s goal was allowed to stand after a video assistant referee (VAR) check.
Villa in trouble
Aston Villa will start 2020 in the relegation zone and with pressure building on manager Dean Smith, who only signed a new four-year contract in November.
While they were unhappy with the penalty and the build-up to the third goal, they were abject and rarely looked like capitalising on the man advantage.
With the game goalless, Wesley was denied by a superb save by Ben Foster yet they mustered just two attempts on target despite playing for more than half an hour with an extra player.
Wesley has not scored in his past 12 league matches, and Spanish forward Jota, who made a rare start, rarely looked like troubling a well-drilled Watford defence.
Villa have troubles at the back too. England defender Tyrone Mings was missing for the fifth successive game with a hamstring injury and Villa have not kept a clean sheet away from home in the Premier League since January 2016.
With problems mounting up, fans will be hoping Smith can land some of his targets in the January transfer window.
Watford improving under Pearson
Watford have had a chaotic season, with managers coming and going, an 8-0 thrashing at Manchester City and a long relegation battle.
Yet their polished performance against troubled Villa provided further evidence things are changing for the better.
The Hornets look refreshed and reborn under Pearson.
Having secured just one top-flight win in 16 games before the arrival of the former Leicester City boss earlier this month, Watford have since taken seven points from four games.
While Deeney will get the plaudits for his two goals, Sarr was outstanding, using his pace to torment Villa’s defence and score his side’s third goal.
Despite Mariappa’s dismissal - his first in 158 top-flight appearances - they played with confidence and belief against Villa, which suggests they have an appetite for the battle ahead.
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith:
“I read the players the riot act at half-time. We weren’t good enough. We lost the game in the first half. We created the best chance before the break, Wesley should probably score.
“Their work-rate was better than ours, which is the biggest disappointment. In the second half, we started to get on the front foot but didn’t create chances.
“When the other team go down to 10 men and the score is 1-0, you’ve got a chance but unfortunately other incidents happened and they scored a second and third.”
---
*BBC Sport*
*Saturday, 28 December 2019*
Dean Smith: Aston Villa boss urges referees to use pitchside monitors
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith wants referees to use pitchside VAR monitors after his side’s 3-0 defeat at Watford.
Watford scored twice after having Adrian Mariappa sent off but Smith said both goals should not have counted.
Troy Deeney made it 2-0 with a penalty awarded as Villa defender Matt Targett lay injured while Smith claimed Jack Grealish was fouled before Ismaila Sarr’s goal.
“The referee could look at the screen but doesn’t,” Smith told BBC Sport.
Premier League referees’ chief Mike Riley has cautioned against their use by on-field officials because of the additional delay it would cause.
That goes against Uefa guidance and Smith, whose side are in the relegation zone, wants the league to change its stance.
“There’s a screen the fella [referee] can walk over to, look at the incident and say ‘I made a boo boo’,” added Smith.
“But we don’t do that in the Premier League. We go to Stockley Park [where VAR is based] where they haven’t got a feel for the game. They just make a decision looking at one incident.”
Targett was down injured when Deeney, who opened the scoring in the first half, was fouled by Douglas Luiz for the penalty before scoring from the spot.
Smith was also unhappy with Etienne Capoue’s challenge on Grealish in the build-up to the third goal - Capoue delivering the assist for Sarr to score.
“Matt Targett goes down with a hamstring injury,” added Smith, who signed a new four-year contract last month.
“I understand officials can only stop play because of a head injury. Jack Grealish doesn’t know Targett has done his hamstring. We lose the ball and Watford play on.
“I still don’t think it should be a penalty. It was shoulder to shoulder and Deeney goes down easily. Targett is playing Deeney onside, sitting on the floor.
“For the third goal, Jack Grealish gets fouled in front of us. The fourth official says their player got the ball but he doesn’t.
“It goes to Stockley Park - again no feel for the game. The referee could look at the screen but doesn’t.
“I’m frustrated with that but more frustrated with the players.”