They came to cheer on their unlikely No9 and left worrying about the player who has long been one of the best in the Premier League in that role.
Aston Villa have done most things right during Unai Emery’s three-and-a-half years at the helm but their work in the transfer market remains chaotic.
On-loan Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott, who wears the No9 shirt, made his first appearance since October and despite the excellent reception, his future remains uncertain.
Yet after Villa needed to fight back from two goals down against Red Bull Salzburg to finish top of the Europa League league phase, Emery and Co. are anxious about Ollie Watkins’ prospects. The England forward was seen holding his hamstring midway through the first half and not long afterwards he was replaced by Morgan Rogers.
An own-goal from Victor Lindelof and a second from Moussa Yeo put Salzburg 2-0 up only for Villa to roar back thanks to goals from Rogers, Tyrone Mings and youngster Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba. Finishing top means Villa are guaranteed to play the second leg of every knockout round at Villa Park.
Already without midfield trio Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans due to injury, Villa can ill afford to lose another key man like Watkins.
Even though the 30-year-old has rarely been at his best this term, he still has eight goals, helping to keep Villa in the Premier League title race.
Thankfully for Villa, they have already signed Tammy Abraham, who was ineligible for this game but was signing autographs and posing for selfies before kick-off. Along with Douglas Luiz, Abraham has returned for a second spell at Villa this month and may be needed from the off against Brentford here on Sunday.
Emery would like at least one more signing before the transfer window shuts on February 2 and had wanted another midfielder, as well as an attacker who can play in various positions across the front line. With Evann Guessand set to complete his loan move to Crystal Palace, expect that search to intensify in the coming days.
Elliott is unlikely to be needed many more times. With the Prince of Wales watching from the directors’ box, Elliott was given a huge cheer by the Holte End when his name was announced.
This was just his seventh appearance and if he makes 10, Villa will be obliged to buy him for £35m. Emery does not want to do that, making the Elliott deal a fitting conclusion to Monchi’s dire stint as transfer chief. It is Emery’s coaching, not Monchi’s recruitment, that has made this club progress so quickly and Monchi’s successor Roberto Olabe needs to do much better – with the next few days crucial.
In a difficult situation, Elliott’s conduct at Villa has been exemplary and he could have made the perfect start. Not even 30 seconds had passed when Watkins’ shot was spilled by Alexander Schlager but with the goal at his mercy, Elliott put the follow-up too close to the Salzburg goalkeeper, who conceded a corner.
Understandably, Elliott was trying too hard. With time and space, he overhit a pass to Jadon Sancho in a good position. By now Salzburg were finding their stride and Emi Martinez made a fine double save to deny Soumaila Diabate and Karim Konate.
When Salzburg took the lead, it was comical. Daydreaming inside his own box, Mings was robbed by Edmund Baidoo. Presented with an open goal by his team-mate, Konate somehow guided his shot off target only for the recovering Lindelof somehow to ram it into his own net.
That was shortly before Watkins was taken off and early in the second half it got worse for Villa. More slack defending allowed Kerim Alajbegovic to burst to the byline and unmarked substitute Moussa Yeo converted the cutback cleverly at the near post.
Rogers then pulled a goal back when he beat Schlager from close range after twice swapping passes with Emi Buendia. That sparked a Villa rally and both sub Jimoh-Aloba and Mings equalised when Schlager failed to deal with Matty Cash’s cross. It was the defender’s first goal for nearly three years and the comeback was complete when the impressive Jimoh-Aloba guided home Kadan Young’s cross with barely two minutes left.
