- Aston Villa drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest on Sunday
- Villa had chances to win the game, but were poor in front of goal, and at times looked tired
- Matty Cash has insisted that there’s no time for excuses
Matty Cash dismisses claims of fatigue as Aston Villa’s grueling fixture schedule intensifies. Following a flat 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest, the defender insists there is “no time for excuses” despite concerns over a “leggy” performance at the City Ground.
Aston Villa were unable to win their third consecutive game in all competitions, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Despite late chances by Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins, neither could keep their shots down and the game ended 1-1.
They will be rather disappointed by their overall display, having been in control for the majority of the match. After conceding Neco Williams’ equaliser in the 38th minute, they seemed to lose their fluidity and momentum, which allowed Forest to get back in the game.
In a post-match interview, Matty Cash said that Villa “probably” should have taken all three points, but overall, it was an “even game.”
“In the first half, we probably had more chances. I think we dominated a little bit more, and then as soon as they got the goal, it was a little bit of a turnover.
“But they’re fighting for their lives, we’re fighting to get in the top four – I’d say a fairly even game.
“Obviously, disappointed, because every game we play, we want to win, especially at the crucial end part of the season, but (we) move on from it.”
The Villans are still in a strong position to secure Champions League football, now that fifth place can qualify, and with Chelsea losing to Manchester City 3-0. They currently sit in fourth place, three points ahead of Liverpool in fifth, and seven points clear of the Blues in seventh.
With just six Premier League games remaining, Unai Emery’s side will want to ensure that their fate is kept in their own hands rather than potentially relying on other clubs results.
Not the time to have excuses
Given Villa’s progression in the Europa League, their end to the season is going to be an intense period. However, for a club wanting to achieve its large ambitions, this cannot be used as an excuse for feeling tired and poor performances.
Cash added, “This part of the season, when you’re fighting for such a big achievement, we’ve got such important games, you haven’t got time to think and to have excuses for feeling leggy.
“Obviously, we’re human, we’re going to be tired, but we’ve got such a big goal to achieve, so (we’re) trying to not let that get in the way.
“We’ve got a lot of teams around that are in good form, fantastic players, big budgets, so it’s going to be a fight right until the end.
“You’ve got the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United all fighting for it, so we’re going to obviously stay focused, go right to the wire, keep picking up as many points as we can, and see where it leaves us.”
Their next fixture is the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Bologna on Thursday night, which they are leading 3-1 on aggregate. This is their best chance for their first piece of silverware in 30 years.
For the final month-and-a-half, they will need to continue to maintain a balance between competing in the Europa League and in the Premier League, in order to achieve both of their goals domestically and in Europe.
