“Outstanding!”, shouted Ollie Watkins towards the end of Aston Villa’s 1-0 away defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Villa carried the gait of a boxer in the 12th round of a low-in-skill, respectable-in-effort fight; hanging on, but merely surviving.
Backup goalkeeper Robin Olsen was drafted in again yesterday after Saturday’s training session demonstrated that no risk should be taken with first-choice Emiliano Martinez, who, having suffered a hamstring injury, remained at home with his wife and children.
The gulf in quality between 2022 World Cup winner Martinez and Olsen is distinct, but team-mates do trust the 34-year-old Swede. It was towards him that Watkins aimed the above praise, even if the 73-cap international appeared to sag at the final whistle, ruing not parrying Joao Pedro’s 87th-minute penalty away from danger, instead serving up a chance for the Brazilian to head what proved the winner off the rebound.
Olsen covered his head with his green shirt, as he had done several times throughout the afternoon.
Firstly, before kick-off, to wipe away the sweat from his pre-game preparations, then after that decisive penalty. Then again at full-time, after a second defeat in four days and the realisation that his efforts, even if Brighton’s technical staff made…
