In Lille and trailing 3-2 in total, the Aston Villa players returned to the central circle, enveloped by the din of 45,000 local supporters. They were trailing in the second leg of a Conference League knockout match – sound familiar?
Standing on the halfway line, Leon Bailey looked at the screen and the clock above him. Villa had 23 minutes to score.
“Hey, eh, eh!” Bailey shouted, waiting for eye contact from his teammates. He then pointed to the clock. “We have the time!”
Twenty minutes later, a combination of a fortuitous Lille implosion and Matty Cash – an unlikely goalscorer – meant Villa had saved themselves in time for extra time and a penalty shootout, where Emiliano Martinez’s penchant for The biggest and most pressured opportunities manifested themselves.
The task that awaits us in the semi-final is undoubtedly more difficult. On Wednesday afternoon, they will land in Piraeus, a port city of Athens, Greece, to try to overturn Olympiacos’ 4-2 lead. The tension and atmosphere will be high and the challenge – exacerbated by factors such as the two-goal deficit, growing fatigue and ongoing injury problems – has the potential to equal that of an epic scene from Greek mythology .
Bailey is part of Villa’s growing group of leaders, identified by Unai Emery and encouraged to speak out on the pitch, as he did in France. He is not part of the leadership group – John McGinn is joined by Martinez, Tyrone Mings and Douglas Luiz – but forms the assistant strand below.
“I push (Ezri) Konsa to lead at different times,” Emery says. “I like explaining in the locker room in front of everyone, they do that. Even Leon Bailey likes to talk and Ollie Watkins is usually one step ahead in trying to share our thoughts in front of the other players.
Bailey is the relevant example, however. He was running on empty during Sunday’s slow 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion and has been playing with heavy strapping on his right knee since the second leg against Lille. He lacked the dynamism and the same softness and, after 50 appearances in all competitions, he must play with his physical limits.
“Players play through pain,” McGinn said. “We didn’t expect Léon in Lille, even less to come in and achieve such a performance. Several players, including myself, had off nights. But that’s when you look at the team. We had a lot of injuries and a lot of games. You’re in the trenches now. You look left and right and hope someone will dig you out.
McGinn is Villa’s captain. His leadership style, according to his teammates and Emery, favors demonstration rather than revelation on the field, but his attitude is exemplary. On several occasions this season, he has reminded certain players of the standards of behavior and speech to staff around the training ground. He is an honest and down-to-earth speaker and recently spoke of his frustrations with his own slightly temperamental performances.
Villa’s players spent the start of the week in full recovery, with Emery reiterating that was the immediate priority and he did not want to turn his attention to Greece too soon. McGinn spoke of being “burned out” and his growing appreciation for days off, even as he learned the lesson of not asking Emery, on behalf of players, for days off, knowing the mature answer that will be given to him. .
Since the start of this Premier League season and for club and country, the Scottish international has played 58 matches in 267 days. This equates to a match every four and a half days for nine consecutive months.
Despite Villa’s recent efforts and fatigue, they remained robust. That’s why they are close to getting Champions League qualification instead of Tottenham Hotspur, who don’t have the stamina to get results.
This is influenced by Emery’s “no excuses culture”. The same is true today, against the backdrop of mitigating factors. The players and management remain confident in their ability to overcome a two-goal deficit in Greece.
“We have a winning mentality and I want to go to the final,” says Moussa Diaby. “We lost, okay, but we have a return match. I believe in my team. We will win, that’s for sure. You have to go there full of energy and fight until the end. I know Villa will do that.
Those close to Emery say his message in the locker room is to never think about a disadvantage, whether it’s fatigue, lack of recovery time or injuries.
Villa are lacking a fully fit No.10 – a key position in Emery’s system, which relies on central overloads offensively – with Morgan Rogers limping off against Brighton, Nicolo Zaniolo withdrawing earlier in the day, Jacob Ramsey ruled out for the season and Youri. Tielemans is potentially back, although he missed the previous two matches with a groin injury.
Villa’s message is to adapt. Developing leaders to solve problems on the pitch – demonstrated expertly by Bailey against Lille – is key to maintaining the confidence and, from a tactical perspective, the control Emery desires. It is no coincidence that every press conference focuses on Villa’s head coach, emphasizing that his players must have the “right mentality”.
“We are building our mentality,” says Emery. “We were gradually improving, becoming responsible and mature. There is still work to do because you have to keep control of your emotions when you are under pressure and in difficulty at certain times. The maturity of the players is improving.
Martinez is the exception when it comes to emotions. Emery sees the Argentine number 1 from a different perspective, knowing that the goalkeeper is at his best amid chaos. Lille is a good example, just like the World Cup final: the warmer the atmosphere, the more it bathes in its sun.
Conversely, Martinez has the ability to lower the temperature of matches. There is confidence Martinez will be fit for the second leg after being substituted at half-time against Chelsea 11 days ago due to hamstring soreness.
Pau Torres, who was on the bench in the first leg as Villa had to manage his minutes, is likely to feature. The club’s post on X on Tuesday seemed like a pointed message, with the increasingly prevalent hashtag of #Believe used.
They had asked fans to send video messages to the players before Thursday evening. It follows the theme of accumulating marginal gains through fan motivation, having altered the team manager’s route to Villa Park so that players can be greeted with a louder, more visceral welcome.
Ready to give everything.#Believe pic.twitter.com/ehzIqJaEIY
– Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 7, 2024
If fit, Martinez’s propensity to make an impact in the biggest moments and his confidence will help calm those waiting for him. No Premier League player has spent more time on the ball than Martinez this season, often waiting, daring an opposition player to press him or allowing outfield players to breathe.
Even in a match where they need to score at least two goals, Villa know the key is to remain patient.
In Piraeus, 1,600 traveling supporters hope Emery’s Villa generation can validate this upward trajectory with their biggest night in recent history, knowing victory would take them back to Greece and 14km north to the heart of Athens, for a European final.
(Top photo: David Horton – CameraSport via Getty Images)