Rob Edwards said that Luton Town’s defeat to Aston Villa was ‘hard to take’ after his team was defeated by a Lucas Digne strike in the final minute.
Relegation-threatened Luton appeared to be out of it at halftime, down 2-0 to an Ollie Watkins brace. However, they clawed their way back into the game, scoring through Tahith Chong and Carlton Morris, and appeared to be batting their way to a hard-earned point.
However, substitute Digne scored a late header to keep Villa in fourth place in the table, building on their recent improvement.
Following the game, Edwards expressed disappointment but commended Villa’s tactics. “I am very disappointed right now, truly disappointed. “The three goals were avoidable, but they always are,” Edwards told Sky Sports.
RATINGS: I watched Aston Villa confirm their Champions League credentials.
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“We turned the ball over too cheaply and conceded from a corner. Then a short free kick, and the third goal is reminiscent of Liverpool or Arsenal, as it comes so late.
“We have to fix up and work hard to improve in those minor aspects, especially against elite teams because they can deliver the cross and the timing of the run is excellent.
“But there was so much to enjoy about the performance. Just because we were 2-0 down at halftime does not imply that the first half was terrible. Villa are so well-organized and have such a strong team that scoring goals against them is extremely difficult.
“It’s difficult to get behind them. They enjoy being compact and high, are excellent out of possession, and can strike you hard and swiftly with counterattacks.
“We didn’t give them a lot of control, but we have to acknowledge that they are quite good as well; the first half wasn’t awful.
“We increased our effort in the second half; we did one or two things, but not a lot. But I believed we dominated the second half and then went on to provide an unbelievable performance.
“What do you have to lose when you’re down 2-0? What is there to worry about? Is the game finished then? So, if we’re going to lose a game of football, let’s do it our way.
“I believe it drove the players to execute with a bit less fear. We’ve had some tough games recently and played well, but we’ve come up short in a couple of results, as seen in Liverpool and Manchester City.
“I thought the players handled a lot of the changes we made from the City game really well today. It’s difficult to take right now.”
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Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins discusses ambitions beyond the Premier League.
Ollie Watkins played a key role in Aston Villa’s 3-2 victory over Luton Town on Saturday.
The result keeps Villa five points clear of fifth-place Tottenham in the Champions League campaign.
Watkins set the tone with two goals in the first half, giving his team the two-goal lead they needed as Luton equalised in the second half before Lucas Digne sealed the victory with an 89th-minute goal.
And, while Watkins did not score the game-winning goal, his contributions resulted in three points for Villa, as has been the case this season.
The Villans are riding high in the Premier League this season, owing in part to Wakins’ 16 league goals, but the 28-year-old feels that his goal-scoring ability is also helping to consolidate his case for inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for this summer’s Euro 2024 tournament.
“If I said I wasn’t thinking about the Euros, I would be lying to you,” Watkins told BBC Match of the Day.
“I hope to score as many goals as possible. I feel like I’m doing that. I’m confident and playing my best football.
“I’ve been playing Premier League football for several years now. I missed out on the previous Euros squad since it was my first season in the Premier League.
“Now I’ve been in the Premier League for several years. I’m scoring and established, so it’s up to the manager to pick me.”
