Matt Maher gives Aston Villa analysis after 4-0 hammering of Roma

Transcript

00:01Good evening from the pallet track, Bescott Stadium, where Villa have beaten Roma 4-0 in pre-season.

00:09An impressive performance from Unai Emery's side with one blot on the landscape.

00:14Morgan Rodgers going off injured early in the second half.

00:17He'd only been on the pitch a few minutes, appeared to land awkwardly on his ankle, had a bit of treatment.

00:23Tried to run it off, decided against it, walked straight down the tunnel.

00:27And that's a concern, obviously, for Villa.

00:29But Rodgers is a huge player for them, just 10 days now until the start of the Premier League season.

00:33It looked like his removal was merely precautionary.

00:37Unai Emery will certainly hope that is the case.

00:40Otherwise, this was a good performance from Villa against Roma,

00:44who are another week away from, an extra week from the start of their season.

00:49That has to be taken into account. Of course, this is pre-season.

00:52But Villa were a lot of fun to watch and they scored a couple of cracking goals.

00:56It was Amy Buendia opening the score in with a sublime free kick.

01:00And then Jacob Ramsey doubling the advantage, latching onto an audacious, no-look reverse pass from Uri Tielemans.

01:08Ollie Watkins then made it four goals in four games in pre-season when he headed home Buendia's cross.

01:14And there were then a lot of changes at half-time.

01:18Rodgers was one of eight players to come on.

01:20Villa used 23 players in total and Daniel Marlon made it 4-0 five minutes before the end.

01:28Roma weren't great. That has to be taken into account.

01:32But Villa were good. Villa looked good.

01:35It was a decent pre-season run out.

01:37Full stadium of Villa supporters and a few Roma fans.

01:41And they got the money's worth, really, with the performance of Unai Emery's team.

01:44Of course, the big news on the transfer front, Evan Guessin has arrived in the UK tonight.

01:49He's due to undergo a medical tomorrow ahead of completing his move from Nice.

01:54The first big-money signing this summer for Villa.

01:58He will bolster the front line.

02:01Buendia, of course, his future's in the balance.

02:03There's interest in him from Leeds.

02:05But his performance tonight shows Villa and Unai Emery might have something to think about.

02:09Because he looked two years on from the ACL injury.

02:12He looks very lively.

02:14So proof of thought there from Villa and a good win tonight.