McGinn and Diaby ease Aston Villa past Luton – with a little help from Lockyer

The last time Emiliano Martínez scored a late own goal, after the ball rebounded off the woodwork and in off the back of his head, Aston Villa were unlucky to lose to Arsenal. Since then, however, Unai Emery’s team have been just about perfect at Villa Park, winning all 12 Premier League games, scoring 34 times in the process. The Argentina goalkeeper’s misfortune on this occasion, after Ezri Konsa had nonchalantly headed against his own bar with Villa three goals to the good, was the only blip on an afternoon when Villa barely had to break sweat to consolidate fifth place.

Especially once Villa went ahead, through John McGinn’s fourth goal of the season in the 17th minute, the match resembled more of a training game of attack versus defence than an equitable top-flight contest. The mismatch between these sides who were four divisions apart only nine years ago was epitomised by the Luton fans predicting wryly: “Conference champions, you’ll never sing that.” Continue reading...

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