, Sheffield Wednesday 1 – 0 Aston Villa

Sheffield Wednesday 1 – 0 Aston Villa

It was the first game of the season for both these clubs with high expectations placed on the shoulders on both sets of players and manager.

Sheffield Wednesday being one of the surprise packages last campaign and nearly passing todays visitors on the way up to the dreamland of the Premier League but it wasn’t to be as they were pipped at the final hurdle by Hull City in the play off final. For Aston Villa it is now time to see how they can do in the Championship after a relegation which had been looming for quite some time in the Premier League

The Owls had a few injury concerns as right back Jack Hunt, winger Marco Matias both sat out of Wednesdays final pre season friendly and midfield enforcer Sam Hutchinson has been out for the majority of pre season for the home side since their visit to Portugal. However it was good news for the Owls fans as all three players were deemed available for selection. The Villains had no fresh injury problems and Ross McCormack was expected to make his debut for his new club after signing for a mouth-watering twelve million pounds from fellow Championship rivals Fulham.

The sides were in and Sheffield Wednesday were first to announce their opening eleven for the first game of the season. Three new signings were making their debuts for Wednesday, Scotland international Steven Fletcher signing on a free contract after his release from Sunderland in the summer was the most notable of these debutantes. Almen Abdi also making his first competitive start for the Owls after signing from Watford for a fee believed to be around four million pounds. The final debutant was left back Daniel Pudil who Wednesday fans will know well as the Czech Republic international was on loan at Hillsborough last season from Watford, with head coach Carlos Carvahal deciding to make a move to get Pudil to play for the Owls on a permanent basis.

This meant that the home side lined up in a 4-4-1-1 formation with Kieran Westwood in-goal. A back four from right to left of Jack Hunt, Tom Lees, Sam Hutchinson, Daniel Pudil. In midfield from right to left Ross Wallace, Kieran Lee, Barry Bannan, Almen Abdi. In the centre forward role was Fernando Forestieri just behind Steven Fletcher up front.

Aston Villa also had three debutants in goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini who signed from Hellas Verona, centre back Tommy Elphick who signed from Premier League side Bournemouth for a rumoured three million pounds. Finally, Villa’s big money signing Ross McCormack made his much-anticipated start in a claret and blue shirt. This meant the Villains lined up in a 4-1-2-1-2 formation with Pierluigi Gollini in-goal. A back four from right to left of Alan Hutton, Tommy Elphick, Nathan Baker, Aly Cissokho. Ashley Westwood just screening the Villa back line with Gary Gardener and Leandro Bacuna just infront of him. The three men who looked to make Aston Villa the difference for Villa were Ross McCormack in a little less advanced position to his fellow strike partners Jordan Ayew and Rudy Gestede.

The first ten minutes looked quite edgy with both sides cautious in their play but you could see that Wednesday were starting to take a foothold in the game but no real cut chances.

Around nineteen minutes in there was our first real talking point. The ball was played over the top of the Owls back line to Ross McCormack, the Scot was held back by Tom Lees who stopped the forward from running on to the ball which allowed Kieran Westwood to clear the ball. It should have been at least a foul and a slight possibility of a red card, Wolves full back Dominic Iorfa got sent off for something similar on Rotherham’s Jon Taylor yesterday. So the former Leeds centre half was quite lucky to get away with not even conceding a foul on McCormack at the very least.

On the half hour mark there was finally a good chance to open the deadlock. Jordan Ayew broke forward from the halfway line and made inroads towards the home sides goal. The Ghanaian saw Bacuna to his right, he played the ball in his direction. Bacuna then probed forward and played an inviting ball into Wednesdays penalty area towards the incoming Ayew who rose highest and headed well but was matched by Kieran Westwood.

On forty-five minutes the home side had their first real good effort on the Villa goal. The Owls broke forward on the counter with Almen Abdi who drove at Aston Villas back line. He dropped the ball off to Fernando Forestieri on the left side of the visitors 18 yard box. The former Watford man moved the ball on to his stronger right foot and curled one towards the top right corner of Gollini’s goal but the Italians effort just went over the bar.

My View on the First Half

Wednesday started the half and finished it the stronger of the two sides. The injury and removal of Steven Fletcher took the Wednesday players time to adjust as there was no target man to get the ball into as fellow countryman Gary Hooper replaced Fletcher. However Wednesday’s domination of possession especially during the opening 20 minutes counted for nothing as they failed to create any clear-cut chances.

Eight minutes after the restart and Villa went close again. Jordan Ayew went just inside the Owls penalty area and was seemed to be crowded out by the numerous bodies surrounding Ayew. The attacker then clipped the ball into Rudy Gestede who directed his header back across the Wednesday goal and forced Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Kieran Westwood to make a save to his left.

On fifty-six minutes Villa were trying to open their scoring for the season again. A corner from the left hand side from Ashley Westwood was headed out by Tom Lees into the direction of Gary Gardener. The Villa academy product watched the ball down on to his foot and hit ball on the volley first time. The ball flashed across Westwood’s right post and went wide. Another chance gone begging for the Villains

Just past the hour mark Wednesday had their first real chance of the game. Fernando Forestieri led the counter attack on the left hand side from a Aston Villa corner. The attacking midfielder went unopposed into the away sides area. He took the ball past Nathan Baker and prodded the ball with his right foot but was saved by the body of the onrushing Gollini.

With fifteen minutes to play Villa had the best chance of the game so far. Ashley Westwood played a great ball over the Wednesday defence into McCormack. The twelve million pound man broke through one on one with the goalkeeper, however the former Fulham man took far to long to assess his situation. He opted to try dink the former Sunderland keeper but Tom Lees slid across and put a goal saving block in to keep the score level.

GOAL. Five minutes from time and finally the deadlock was broken. Debutante goalkeeper Gollini made a hash of his clearance and sliced it into the direction of Tommy Elphick. The former Bournemouth man tried to head it clear but it went as far as the oncoming Forestieri. The Italian broke forward into the penalty area. In the one on one situation he kept his head and dispatched coolly underneath his fellow countryman Gollini.

In the final few moments of the game Wednesday held on with the visitors not challenging to trun level.

My View on the Second Half

Aston Villa grew into the game as it went on and were unfortunate not to go ahead on a couple of occasions. However for the fifteen, twenty minutes they were the better side they failed to make their chances count and got punished for it.

Wednesday were the better side for the first 45 and Villa the better side for the second 45. The side from the West Midlands created the better chances and were unfortunate to lose on their first game back in the Championship however they will take this result in their stride and hope to build on it as there were some positive points to take from the game. Sheffield Wednesday will be happy with the three points in their opening game and happy with their first half performance. However head coach Carlos Carvalhal will see improvements to make for last seasons losing play off finalists.

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