Carl Recine/Getty Images
Richard Keys thinks Aston Villa were feeling the effects of their win against Bayern Munich at the weekend against Manchester United and warned the Midlands outfit that if they want to get in the mix with big teams then they have to do better.
Aston Villa took Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the Champions League league stage and secured an impressive 1-0 win over the German giants.
However, at the weekend they failed to beat Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United, who are struggling this season, at Villa Park, as the Premier League match finished 0-0.
Keys pointed out that Villa’s players did not press Manchester United players despite having several opportunities and he thinks the team’s performance was affected by their midweek win against Bayern Munich.
The veteran presenter warned Aston Villa that they will have to do a lot better if they want to be considered a big team.
“How many times did [Emi] Martinez and [Andre] Onana stand outside their box with a foot on the ball? I know the idea is to invite the press and then work the ball out – but no-one ever pressed”, Keys wrote on his blog.
“Clearly Villa were feeling the effects of their big night against Bayern, but that’s not really an excuse.
“If they want to mix it with the big boys they’ve got to do better, especially when there’s nothing to beat in front of you.”
Aston Villa will return in action against Fulham after the international break before they take on Bologna in the Champions League.
