Player Ratings: Brisbane Roar 0-1 Aston Villa - Archer’s goal ensures victory in Townsville!

Emiliano Martínez: 6/10

Had very little to do in the first-half due to the dominance of his side, bar a tame effort that was comfortably caught and a lofted corner, which the Argentine spilled before being cleared. Captaining his side for the first-time will have pleased Villa’s number one, who played his first minutes this pre-season.

Matty Cash: 6/10

Villa’s number two bombed down the right throughout the first 45 minutes, and put a number of teasing crosses into the Brisbane box. The Polish international’s progressive play will please Steven Gerrard, but Cash failed to make the most out of a number of chances presented to him and squandered a couple of efforts at goal.

Calum Chambers: 6/10

The man signed in January looks a good fit at the base of the Aston Villa side and his ability to take the ball out of defence and break the lines may be of use throughout the upcoming Premier League season. Chambers was gifted with some good opportunities inside the penalty area but could not put anything away.

Diego Carlos: 6/10

Carlos looks like the real deal in claret and blue, and his first-half partnership with Calum Chambers formed a superb, stable barrier that kept Brisbane quiet for the majority of the opening 45 minutes. His physicality and defensive know-how will be a big boost for his new side this campaign, and the Brazilian continues to look like a smart signing.

Lucas Digne: 6/10

Like his full-back counter-part, Lucas Digne enjoyed flooding forward down his flank and delivering several crosses into the opposition box. Positive link-up play with winger Leon Bailey will encourage Villa fans and staff alike, with glimpses of quality between the two on show. The Frenchman was lucky to only receive a yellow for a rash challenge early in the game, but it will not tarnish another solid display from the number 27.

Boubacar Kamara: 7/10

With every game, Boubacar Kamara looks more and more accomplished, and makes a case to be one of the most shrewd signings across the transfer window. Showcasing his remarkable ability to read the game and intercept play, whilst also demonstrating his tremendous technical side by spraying well-timed passes all over the pitch, the 22 year-old is proving to be just what Steven Gerrard wanted from his defensive midfielder signing.

John McGinn: 6/10

A typical John McGinn display in Townsville; plenty of energy and tackles combined with moments of intricacy and flair. Although the Scotsman didn’t get on the ball as much as he would have liked, it was another spirited display next to midfield partner Kamara, with the two starting to cohere and bond at the heart of the side.

Philippe Coutinho: 6/10

A somewhat sub-standard showing from Villa’s Brazilian number 23 who had to drop deep throughout his performance to get a touch on the ball. Regardless, the 30 year-old looked as assured in possession as ever, and made the hard parts of the game look easy — a real joy to have in the team.

Leon Bailey: 6/10

Yet another encouraging display from the Jamaican forward who looks up for it heading into the start of the new season. Bailey always looked keen to get on the ball and make something happen at every opportunity, and the fans at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium were often treated to the skills and flair that the former Bayer 04 Leverkusen man has to offer. Bailey leaves boss Steven Gerrard with a real headache for the fast-approaching Bournemouth game.

Danny Ings: 6/10

Due to the run of the play in the first-half, striker Danny Ings struggled to get near the ball and make his mark on the game. Brisbane’s deep-line made them hard to break down, and Ings certainly took the brunt of this approach, leaving him almost helpless when his side were in possession. The former Southampton man was as relentless as ever during the press though, and nearly made the breakthrough with an opportunity that was parried onto the post near the end of the half.

Bertrand Traoré : 6/10

It was a big game for winger Bertrand Traorè, who was gifted his first start of the pre-season and had the opportunity to stake his claim in the quality-filled portion of the team that is the Aston Villa attack. The Burkino Faso captain hit a strike just over in what was one of his side’s best chances of the half, and the 26 year-old enjoyed linking with overlapping full-back Matty Cash down the right too.

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SUBSTITUTES/SECOND-HALF SIDE:

Kaine Kesler-Hayden (45 mins): 7/10

The young defender was awarded his second set of minutes of pre-season and the former Swindon and MK Dons loanee took his chance well. Venturing forward and playing high up the pitch is what young Kaine enjoys doing, and this benefited the Villa side throughout the second-half. It was the 19 year-old who set up the only goal of the game, but his crosses were a constant threat throughout. His defensive side needs work, but Kesler-Hayden would have certainly made an impression upon his gaffer.

Ezri Konsa (45 mins): 6/10

Back in a Villa shirt and back keeping a clean sheet for his side. Everyone was glad to see the number four back out on the field, and there were no post-injury concerns for the defender who looked as accomplished as expected alongside partner in crime Tyrone Mings. Konsa tried to top his return off with a speculative, outside of the foot effort from a corner which (sadly) sailed well wide of the mark.

Tyrone Mings (45 mins): 6/10

Captaining the side for the second-half, Tyrone Mings put in another solid display at the back. Despite being down-under, you could probably still hear the 29 year-old’s voice from Villa Park as he bellowed out his instructions to his side. Mings will have hoped he has shown enough to his boss during their time together to keep the captains armband ahead of the 2022/2023 campaign.

Ludwig Augustinsson (35 mins): 5/10

A reasonably bog-standard debut for the Swedish full-back, who failed to deliver any convincing crosses into the area for the awaiting Aston Villa offense. The Sevilla loanee looked a tad rusty at the back and was caught out of position on more than one occasion, but the 28 year-old will still be settling in to his new surroundings and will need time to adjust.

Tim Iroegbunam (45 mins): 7/10

Another youngster who would have done his chances every bit as good after an accomplished showing that was full of calmness and assured play. With speculation around a possible loan move, would the midfielder be better kept at the club as a midfield option?

Douglas Luiz (45 mins): 7/10

Last season showed that when given the freedom, Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz can really show what he is about, and this Brisbane fixture allowed for the same. Overlapping runs from midfield caused the Roar all sorts of danger, and you can see Villa’s number six really enjoyed himself out there.

Jacob Ramsey (45 mins): 6/10

A tidy showing from Jacob Ramsey, who is a real staple in the Aston Villa side now. The ability to drive forward with the ball will cause danger to many teams, and Ramsey executed this skill over and over again. He is a willing individual who wants to take players on, but knows when to keep it simple too. It will be another big season for Jacob Ramsey who looks to build upon an impressive breakthrough year.

Emiliano Buendía (45 mins): 8/10

Fan favourite Emi Buendía put in a trademark performance at the Queensland Community Bank Stadium, demonstrating his raw creative abilities throughout his 45 minutes on the pitch. The Argentine has that special talent to outwit opponents with ease, and such talent was on show today, leaving orange shirts in his dust and fashioning chances for his side at every opportunity.

Cameron Archer (45 mins): 8/10

This man continues to impress at the top end of the field, and more importantly, he continues to score goals. The young forward has a incredible ability to ‘make something out of nothing’ and a real pedigree to find space in the box — a trait useful for every good attacker. Steven Gerrard has some real thinking to do regarding Archer, as he looks to be a fantastic option in the attacking department.

Ollie Watkins (45 mins): 6/10

A quiet day for last season’s top goal scorer who failed to make an attempt at goal or find any real breakthrough at any stage. The 26 year-old linked well down the right with Kesler-Hayden at times, and worked non-stop out of possession as always.

Robin Olsen (30 mins): 6/10

The Swedish goalkeeper makes consecutive appearances on the Australian tour, but his showing will go down as his most idle performance in net, with the back-up ‘keeper touching the ball on just the one occasion during his half an hour stint.

Ben Chrisene (10 mins): 6/10

Despite only playing the last ten, young full-back Chrisene saw a good amount of the ball and attempted a number of crosses into the box. At the other end, the 18 year-old was solid and dealt with any danger well.

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MAN OF THE MATCH: Emiliano Buendía

Aston Villa’s record signing is really proving his worth in the side, and you get that feeling that the upcoming campaign will be a big one for him. This game allowed the little Argentine to show exactly what he is about and to strut his stuff, and he now looks like a nailed-on starter for the first game of the season. The 25 year-old’s ability to keep the ball despite his size is jaw-dropping, and the technicality he shows when in possession is something special. Brisbane players could not get near the former Norwich City talisman, and he will hope to bring this fine pre-season form into the start of Premier League next month.

Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images