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News
Thomas Frank hails Aston Villa star as he delivers ‘what a player’ verdict after win over his Brentford side
With Aston Villa’s short of confidence and starved of wins, a fast start was required to calm the nerves as Thomas Frank’s Brentford arrived for Wednesday’s Premier League clash at Villa Park.
And while Aston Villa’s opener was not quite as rapid as some of the goals Brentford have scored earlier in the campaign – Frank’s team making a habit of finding the net almost immediately after kick-off – Morgan Rogers’ 21st minute strike certainly went some way to restoring th🌳e confiden🦂ce.
Aston Villa had not won any of their last eight games in all competitions; Unai Emery’s side coming off a thumping loss atꦬ🌊 Chelsea over the weekend.
But their worst run in two-and-a-half years fi🍷nally came to an end as Ollie Watkins and Matty Cash followed up on Ro💛gers’ thumping finish, an out-of-sorts outfit roaring into a 3-0 lead with just 34 minutes on the clock.
And Frank accepts 💃that the ‘momentum’ gained following Rogers’ fabulous early finish made quite the difference on the night.
This was the former Middlesbrough forward’s first goal in a month, meanwhile, Rogers rediscovering some of his early-season brilliance in a much-needed victory for both he and his similarlyꦅ self-belief-starved tꦺeammates.
Thomas Frank highlights Morgan Rogers role as Aston Villa beat Brentford
“We know we are better than what we showed today, and that is th💃e frustratingꦑ part. But then we faced a team who hit a high level and got all the momentum they needed,” Frank sighs post-match.
“They get the first go🅘al, a top action from Rogers putting it into the top corner. What a player, by the way.”
What a player, indeed.
F🃏rank is not the first opposition boss to pay tribute to Rogers’ twinkle-toed talents this 𝐆season.
Bayern Munich boss Vi🐼ncent Kompany hailed Aston Villa’s £8 mill༺ion signing after his sensational solo display in that famous 1-0 w♐in over the German giants in the Champions League, admitting that he had tried to bring Rogers to Burnley during his time in the Turf Moor hotseat.
Brentford did threaten a fightback, meanwhile, when 𝓀Mikkel Damsgaard netted just nine minutes a𓃲fter the interval. But Frank accepts that Aston Villa were more than deserving of a first Premier League win since beating Fulham in mid-October.
“It could have been game on in the second▨-half. The way we responded was good, and we maybe could have had another goal,” Frank claims. “[But] I think Villa were clearly the better side and they deserved to win.
“They hit a high🤡 level and we didn’t hi🌳t a high level. Sometimes you need that quality action from your key players. We didn’t have that today.
“I📖 know how good the players are and how good we can play at times. When you know there’s more in the team and we don’t perform, it’s always irritating and frustrating.
“But Villa were unstoppable.”
Unai Emery delighted to end eight-match winless run
Aston Villa climb above Tottenham Hotspur into seventh place.♏ Ange Postecoglou’s team can leapfrog the Midlanders again, however, with a win away at AFC Bournemouth on Thursday.
Bournemouth took a point of Aston Villa six weeks ago. A game Emery referenced a🔯s his tea🌞m put those recent failings behind them in a first-half blitz against Brentford.
“We played more or less♈ like the last matches at home against Bournemouth and Crystal Palace. [Two games]💎 we drew because we made some mistakes,” Emery says.
“We were working to correct those mistakes and we avoided those mistakes. We controlled the game and, in the first 30 minutes, we played 🌳fantastic and scored three goals. Even when they scored we were creating chances.
“With our supporters here in Villa❀ Pꦡark, this is the atmosphere we have to try to keep for a long time.”