Aston Villa won 3-0 against Spartak Trnava on Saturday afternoon, with one player giving Unai Emery something to think about ahead of the upcoming season.
Unai Emery will be thrilled to see his side continue their winning ways in pre-season, as Aston Villa beat Spartak Trnava 3-0 in Slovakia on Saturday afternoon.
The result follows the Villans’ 3-0 victory over Walsall earlier in the week, with the two results setting the squad up strongly ahead of their tour of the United States.
Goals from Morgan Rogers, Cameron Archer and Leon Bailey settled the scoreline however, it was more than just the goalscorers who caught the eye.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Joe Gauci impressed in pre-season friendly against Spartak Trnava
Emery was able to properly assess his squad against Spartak Trnava as the manager once again played entirely different XI’s in the first and second half.
Starting in goal in the first half was Joe Gauci, who Villa fans have waited to see in action after his January arrival from Adelaide United.
The 24-year-old will be hopeful of making an impact next season, with his claim to securing minutes in Emery’s side made stronger after his display against Spartak Trnava.
Journalist John Townley was quick to praise some aspects of the Australian’s game in the pre-season friendly, as he handed him a 7/10 match rating, via BirminghamLive’s player ratings.
“Gauci commanded his box well when he punched or caught the ball from crosses and corners. He is very aggressive when attempting to relieve pressure off his defenders.
“The Australian goalkeeper’s distribution wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t put Villa in any danger trying to overplay.”
It’s encouraging to learn that Gauci impressed in the first team, as Emery has one key issue to solve going into the new season.
Unai Emery could have a Robin Olsen upgrade in Gauci
Fortunately for Villa, their concerns regarding goalkeepers begins after the selection for first choice.
While Emi Martinez is Villa’s firm number one, Emery saw last season just how wide the gap between the Argentine and second-choice Robin Olsen is.
When the World Cup winner was unavailable due to either injury or suspension, Olsen was called into action however, was unable to provide the cover needed to fill the void Martinez left.
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The early signs of Gauci suggest that the Spaniard could still have the commanding presence of Martinez even when the former Arsenal ace is unavailable, with the Australian doing a strong job at controlling those ahead of him against Spartak Trnava.
Olsen was particularly fragile in the Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against Olympiacos last season, where multiple mishaps and miscommunications allowed the Greek side to get in behind the defence.
Gauci showed an opposing level of trust in the most recent pre-season test, which could give Emery something to consider as the 2024/25 campaign edges closer.
There will now be hope that the Australia international will have the chance to show his worth on Villa’s pre-season tour of the United States, as the club wait for Martinez to return to the fold after winning the Copa America.
