Game #5525
Aston Villa

Saturday, 4 January 2020
3rd Round
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟥 🟩 🟥
GK Ørjan Nyland | 🇳🇴 |
LB Neil Taylor | 🏴 | 🟨 |
CB James Chester | 🏴 | 🔴 |
CB Björn Engels | 🇧🇪 |
RB Ahmed Elmohamady | 🇪🇬 |
M Henri Lansbury | 🏴 | 🟨 |
M Marvelous Nakamba | 🇿🇼 | 🟨 | 🔁 |
M Conor Hourihane | 🇮🇪 |
W Anwar El Ghazi | 🇳🇱 | ⚽ | 🔁 |
W Jota | 🇪🇸 | 🔁 |
CF Jonathan Kodjia | 🇨🇮 | 🔥 | 🔴 |
Dean Smith | 🏴 | 2018-2021

Substitutes:
🔁 W Trézéguet | 🇪🇬 | for W Jota | 🇪🇸 | 76' |
🔁 W Indiana Vassilev | 🇺🇸 | 🟢 | for M Marvelous Nakamba | 🇿🇼 | 80' |
🔁 M Jacob Ramsey | 🏴 | for W Anwar El Ghazi | 🇳🇱 | 86' |
Unused Substitutes:
GK Lovre Kalinić | 🇭🇷 |
CB Ezri Konsa | 🏴 |
CB Kortney Hause | 🏴 |
RB Frédéric Guilbert | 🇫🇷 |
🟨 Marvelous Nakamba, Bad foul
🟨 Neil Taylor, Bad foul
🟨 Henri Lansbury
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1995-96
Matchday Squad:
GK Lovre Kalinić | 🇭🇷 | £5.40m |
GK Ørjan Nyland | 🇳🇴 | £2.70m |
RB Frédéric Guilbert | 🇫🇷 | £4.50m |
RB Ahmed Elmohamady | 🇪🇬 | £0.99m |
LB Neil Taylor | 🏴 | Exchange |
CB Ezri Konsa | 🏴 | £11.97m |
CB James Chester | 🏴 | £8.37m |
CB Björn Engels | 🇧🇪 | £7.20m |
CB Kortney Hause | 🏴 | £2.70m |
M Marvelous Nakamba | 🇿🇼 | £10.80m |
M Conor Hourihane | 🇮🇪 | £3.15m |
M Henri Lansbury | 🏴 | £3.06m |
M Jacob Ramsey | 🏴 | Youth |
W Trézéguet | 🇪🇬 | £9.00m |
W Anwar El Ghazi | 🇳🇱 | £8.10m |
W Jota | 🇪🇸 | £4.05m |
W Indiana Vassilev | 🇺🇸 | Free |
CF Jonathan Kodjia | 🇨🇮 | £11.61m |
Injury | 6 |
CF Keinan Davis | 🏴 | Hamstring, 2 Nov 2019 [10]
GK Jed Steer | 🏴 | 25 Nov 2019 [9]
M John McGinn | 🏴 | Ankle, 26 Dec 2019 [3]
LB Matt Targett | 🏴 | Hamstring, 1 Jan 2020 [2]
GK Tom Heaton | 🏴 | ACL, 4 Jan 2020 [1]
CF Wesley | 🇧🇷 | ACL, 4 Jan 2020 [1]
Out on Loan | 6 |
RB James Bree | 🏴 | Luton
M Jake Doyle-Hayes | 🇮🇪 | Cheltenham
W André Green | 🏴 | Charlton
CF Rushian Hepburn-Murphy | 🏴 | Derby
CF Scott Hogan | 🇮🇪 | Stoke
F Callum O’Hare | 🏴 | Coventry
Not Selected | 3 |
CB Tyrone Mings | 🏴 |
M Douglas Luiz | 🇧🇷 |
M Jack Grealish | 🏴 |
Mass changes for the FA Cup - some enforced through injury, others through the blessed need of a rest.
18-year old American winger Indiana Vassilev was given his first squad appearance as midfielder Jacob Ramsey made the bench for the third cup game this season.
Björn Engels returned to the starting line up following illness whilst Captain James Chester came in for his second start of the season.
With Tyrone Mings, Douglas Luiz and Jack Grealish rested the side was very much a second string selection with the incentive for the likes of Henri Lansbury, Marvelous Nakamba, Anwar El Ghazi, Jota and Jonathan Kodjia to play themselves into first team contention.
Despite being recalled from his loan at Livingston following Tom Heaton’s injury there was no place on the bench for Matija Šarkić as Lovre Kalinić received his second call up as reserve goalkeeper this season.
Starting XI Average Age: | 28.78 |
Substitute Average Age: | 20.93 |
Oldest Player: RB Ahmed Elmohamady | 🇪🇬 | 32.34 |
Youngest Player: W Anwar El Ghazi | 🇳🇱 | 24.69 |
A second string Villa toil to defeat against an inspired Fulham side in the third round of the FA Cup.
Centre back James Chester makes his 126th and final appearance for Villa aged 30 before being released by the club in June 2020. Chester, who became a modern day Villa great following his £8,370,000 from West Bromwich Albion in August 2016, leaves with a record of W53 D38 L35, 12 Goals, 1 Assist, 13 Bookings and 1 Red Card.
Centre forward Jonathan Kodjia makes his 106th and final appearance for Villa aged 30 ahead of signing for Qatari Club Al Gharafa on 18th January 2020. Kodjia, a terrace favourite after a half decade of dross, leaves with a record of W43 D30 L33, 31 Goals, 9 Assists, 14 Bookings and 1 Red Card.
Winger Indiana Vassilev makes his Villa debut aged 18 having signed for the club from the IMG Academy in October 2017 to become the 941st player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.
Ørjan Nyland makes his 25th start for Villa (27 Appearances) to make it W10 D9 L8, 39 Goals Conceded and 7 Clean Sheets so far in his Villa career.
Substitute Harry Arter scored moments after coming on to send Fulham into the fourth round of the FA Cup with victory over Premier League side Aston Villa.
Anthony Knockaert had put the Championship club ahead with a stunning strike before Anwar El Ghazi equalised less than 10 minutes later.
But Arter restored the hosts’ lead with a blistering effort of his own from 30 yards - his first Fulham goal.
The Cottagers are into the fourth round for the first time in three seasons.
But Villa - who are 17th in the Premier League - have now gone four years without winning an FA Cup match.
They have been eliminated by sides from lower leagues in their past two ties in the competition.
In what was the first FA Cup meeting between the sides since 1999 - and their first encounter since the 2018 Championship play-off final - Knockaert opened the scoring after the break with a left-footed effort from outside the area.
But El Ghazi, who had gone close to opening the scoring for Dean Smith’s Villa on the stroke of half-time only to be denied by Marek Rodak, cancelled out the Frenchman’s goal by tapping in Jonathan Kodjia’s goal-bound effort.
Fulham boss Scott Parker brought Arter on for Kevin McDonald and his switch was rewarded just one minute and 45 seconds later when the 30-year-old - on loan from Bournemouth - thumped the ball into the top corner for his first goal since November 2017.
Knockaert saw a chance to extend Fulham’s lead go begging in the dying stages of the match, Jay Stansfield’s cross passing just millimetres from his toe in front of goal.
The goals came following a cagey first half in which neither side had truly threatened with the exception of El Ghazi’s last-ditch attempt.
Villa had seen both Marvelous Nakamba and Neil Taylor go into the book early on for ill-timed challenges, while Kodjia had scuppered the visitors’ first chance to take the lead, firing over the bar after good play by El Ghazi to bring the ball into the box.
Ahmed El Mohamady and Jota also went close to opening the scoring for Villa, while Knockaert and Joe Bryan both had efforts on goal for Fulham.
After the break, Knockaert saw a blistering strike brush past the post before finally opening the scoring, while Bryan and Cyrus Christie also peppered Orjan Nyland’s goal with shots as Fulham - now dominating the match - looked to hit the final nail in Villa’s coffin.
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith, speaking to BBC Sport:
“We had a much-changed team, we had to with the amount of games we’ve had.
“There wasn’t an awful lot in the game - they scored two wonder goals and beat us.
“While the FA Cup means an awful lot to us, it’s not top of our priority list given the injuries we’ve got and the games coming up.
“It was an opportunity for players to show me they want to be in the first team. Some did OK and some didn’t deliver.”
Scorer(s) | Anwar El Ghazi | 63' |
Assist(s) | Jonathan Kodjia | 63' |
Match Timeline:
🟨 | 6’ Booking, Marvelous Nakamba for a bad foul
🟨 | 21’ Booking, Neil Taylor for a bad foul
🕒 | HT Fulham 0-0 Aston Villa
🥅 | 54’ Goal, 0-1, (Fulham), Anthony Knockaert
⚽ | 63’ Goal, 1-1, Anwar El Ghazi, Assist by Jonathan Kodjia
🥅 | 74’ Goal, 1-2, (Fulham), Harry Arter
🔁 | 76’ Sub off, Jota, Sub on, Trézéguet
🔁 | 80’ Sub off, Marvelous Nakamba, Sub on, Indiana Vassilev 🟢
🔁 | 86’ Sub off, Anwar El Ghazi, Sub on, Jacob Ramsey
🟨 | 90’+6 Booking, Henri Lansbury
🕒 | FT Fulham 1-2 Aston Villa
Season | 2019-20 |
Matchday | #26 |
Manager Game | #64 |
Saturday, 4 January 2020

Manager: Dean Smith | 🏴 | West Bromwich, 2018-2021
Referee: Craig Pawson | 🏴 | Sheffield & Hallam, 2013-
Kick off: 3.01pm
HT Score: 🟨 0-0
FT Score: 🟥 1-2
FT Result: 🟥 Lost
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟥 🟩 🟥
Referee: Craig Pawson | 🏴 | Sheffield & Hallam, 2013-
Assistants: Darren Cann, Richard Wild
Previous 5 vs. Fulham: 🟩 🟥 🟩 🟥 🟥
Total 🕒 70 | 🟩 23 | 🟨 22 | 🟥 25 | ⚽ 96 | 🥅 94 |
League 🕒 65 | 🟩 21 | 🟨 21 | 🟥 23 | ⚽ 87 | 🥅 87 |
FA Cup 🕒 3 | 🟩 1 | 🟨 0 | 🟥 2 | ⚽ 6 | 🥅 4 |
League Cup 🕒 2 | 🟩 1 | 🟨 1 | 🟥 0 | ⚽ 3 | 🥅 1 |
Home 🕒 35 | 🟩 19 | 🟨 10 | 🟥 6 | ⚽ 59 | 🥅 32 |
Away 🕒 34 | 🟩 4 | 🟨 12 | 🟥 18 | ⚽ 36 | 🥅 59 |
Neutral 🕒 1 | 🟩 0 | 🟨 0 | 🟥 1 | ⚽ 0 | 🥅 1 |
Possession F | 43%
Possession A | 57%
Shots F | 9
Shots A | 17
Shots on Target F | 3
Shots on Target A | 5
Corners F | 2
Corners A | 3
Fouls F | 9
Fouls A | 9
Debut Appearances:
🟢 W Indiana Vassilev | 🇺🇸 | #941 | Youth Team promotiion
Final Appearances:
🔴 CB James Chester | 🏴 | 2016-20 🕒 126 | 126 (0) | ⚽ 12 | 🔥 1 | 🇺 11 | #893 |
🔴 CF Jonathan Kodjia | 🇨🇮 | 2016-20 🕒 106 | 69 (37) | ⚽ 31 | 🔥 9 | 🇺 11 | #896 |
Dean Smith | 🏴 | 2018-2021
🕒 64 | 🟩 | 29 🟨 | 13 🟥 22 | 1.56
Villa Career Form:
Top 8
Referee:
Referee: Craig Pawson | 🏴 | Sheffield & Hallam, 2013-
🕒 9 | 🟩 2 | 🟨 3 | 🟥 4 | 🆘 : 1
🕒 9 | 🟩 22% | 🟨 33% | 🟥 44% | 🆘 : 11%
Cards 🟨 20 | 🟥 0 | 2.22 |
Penalty ⚽ 0 | 🥅 0 |
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟨 🟥 🟥
VAR (from 2021)
Sub 4
Games
Results
Cards
🕒
🔁
⚽
🔥
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
Sub 5
Games
Results
Cards
🕒
🔁
⚽
🔥
🟩
🟨
🟨
🟥
🟥
FA Cup
Fulham

Craven Cottage
Attendance: 12,980
GK Marek Rodák | 🇸🇰 |
RB Cyrus Christie | 🇮🇪 |
RB Denis Odoi | 🇬🇭 |
CB Michael Hector | 🇯🇲 | 🟨 |
CB Alfie Mawson | 🏴 |
LB Joe Bryan | 🏴 |
M Kevin McDonald | 🏴 | 🟨 | 🔁 |
M Stefan Johansen | 🇳🇴 |
M Joshua Onomah (ex) | 🏴 | 🔁 |
W Ivan Cavaleiro | 🇵🇹 | 🔁 |
CF Anthony Knockaert | 🇫🇷 | ⚽ | 🟨 |
Scott Parker | 🏴 |

Substitutes:
🔁 | M Harry Arter | 🇮🇪 | ⚽ | for M Kevin McDonald | 🏴 | 72’ |
🔁 | CF Jay Stansfield | 🏴 | for M Joshua Onomah (ex) | 🏴 | 82’ |
🔁 | M Luca de la Torre | 🇺🇸 | for W Ivan Cavaleiro | 🇵🇹 | 84’ |
Unused Substitutes:
GK Marcus Bettinelli | 🏴 |
M Jayden Harris | 🏴 |
M Matt O’Reilly | 🏴 |
W Sylvester Jasper | 🏴 |
🟨 Michael Hector
🟨 Kevin McDonald
🟨 Anthony Knockaert
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: ❌
FA Cup Winners: ❌
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: ❌
Matchday Squad:
GK Marcus Bettinelli | 🏴 | Youth |
GK Marek Rodak | 🇸🇰 | Free |
LB Joe Bryan | 🏴 | £6.75m |
RB Cyrus Christie | 🇮🇪 | £2.92m |
RB Denis Odoi | 🇬🇭 | £0.86m |
CB Alfie Mawson | 🏴 | £14.46m |
CB Michael Hector | 🇯🇲 | £5.06m |
M Stefan Johansen | 🇳🇴 | £1.97m |
M Kevin McDonald | 🏴 | £1.29m |
M Jayden Harris | 🏴 | Youth |
M Matt O’Reilly | 🏴 | Youth |
M Josh Onomah (ex) | 🏴 | Free |
M Luca de la Torre | 🇺🇸 | Free |
M Harry Arter | 🇮🇪 | Loan |
W Ivan Cavaleiro | 🇵🇹 | £10.13m |
W Anthony Knockaert | 🇫🇷 | £10.00m |
W Sylvester Jasper | 🏴 | Youth |
CF Jay Stansfield | 🏴 | Youth |
Not Recorded

*Villa boss Dean Smith*
“We had a much-changed team, we had to with the amount of games we’ve had.
“There wasn’t an awful lot in the game - they scored two wonder goals and beat us.
“While the FA Cup means an awful lot to us, it’s not top of our priority list given the injuries we’ve got and the games coming up.
“It was an opportunity for players to show me they want to be in the first team. Some did OK and some didn’t deliver.”