Burnley 1 Aston Villa 3 - Report
Aston Villa's opening day defeat at Newcastle looks more of an anomaly by the game as they swept Burnley at Turf Moor in convincing fashion.
Three wins in eight days, all by comfortable margins, with equally dominant performances proves that Villa will be a force to reckon with under Unai Emery this season.
It was Vincent Kompany's side, recently promoted to the Premier League, who were on the end of a commanding Villa display this time as they ran out comfortable 3-1 winners in Lancashire.
Matty Cash, restored to the team, scored twice in the first half as Emery's side outclassed a hopeless Burnley in the opening 45 minutes.
The hosts did get one back after the break when Lyle Foster got one back, but any hopes of a Burnley comeback were blown when Moussa Diaby capped a fine individual performance with a goal to give Villa the first away win in the league.
The visitors could have added more with Ollie Watkins going close and debutant Nicolo Zaniolo almost scoring with his first touch in a Villa shirt.
ANALYSIS
Villa were handed a blow before kick-off when their star goalkeeper Emi Martinez was ruled out through injury.
It meant Robin Olsen came in for his first Premier League appearance of the season, but further added to Unai Emery's injury woes.
The bench looked very thin ahead of kick-off, with them only able to name eight substitutes - two of those were goalkeepers.
The hosts had only played one Premier League game up to this point and that was against Champions Man City so it is hard to read too much into that game.
They were still awaiting their first goal since their return.
But it was Villa who started fastest as they took the lead inside eight minutes with Cash getting on the scoresheet.
Villa captain John McGinn lofted a ball over the top for Ollie Watkins to run onto, he got to the byline before lifting it over James Trafford for Cash to bundle it in at the back post.
Not long after Villa doubled their lead. Cash, a somewhat unlikely scorer, got his second of the afternoon this time finishing off a wonderful team move.
It was precise passing around the Burnley area. Diaby and Cash combined, and it was the Polish international who fired home.
They continued to cut through their opponents, who are finding life back in the Premier League challenging.
It could have been three when Watkins saw an effort, after another good Villa move, chested away by James Trafford.
But from looking so comfortable before the break, Villa gave the hosts a way back into the game immediately after the re-start.
Connor Roberts rose above Lucas Digne at the back post, and as the ball bounced around in the Villa penalty area, Foster was allowed to turn by Pau Torres, and he fired home.
The goal changed the atmosphere inside Turf Moor, and the hosts began to put pressure on Villa for the first time.
But that was soon put to bed when Villa scored a third, against the run of play.
Another excellent team goal. With Diaby the man to slot home from outside the box after McGinn had held off the Burnley defender and played in Digne who pulled it back to him.
His first-time left-footed shot nestled into the bottom corner beyond Trafford.
Villa had chances to add to their lead. Watkins was denied by Trafford from close range when he should have scored.
There was a debut for Nicolo Zaniolo, who should have scored with his first touch in a Villa shirt but he was denied by a wonderful Dara O'Shea challenge.
Villa cruised home from there on in, with lots of changes made by both sides disrupting the flow of the game.
Villa: Olsen, Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Cash, Digne (Traore 80), Kamara, Luiz (Tielemans 85), Diaby (Zaniolo 73), McGinn, Watkins (Duran 85).
Subs: Marschall, Zych, Tielemans, Traore, Chambers, Zaniolo, Duran, Bailey.
Burnley: Trafford, O'Shea, Manuel (Gudmundsson 45), Roberts, Berge (Ramsey 68), Foster (Rodriguez 80), Cullen, Amdouni (Larsen 80), Al Dakhil, Koleosho (Redmond 68), Delcroix.
Subs: Muric, Cork, Gudmundsson, Brownhill, Rodriguez, Redmond, Ramsey, Vitinho, Larsen.
