JACK GREALISH has lost 20 consecutive
Premier League games — the most ever!
Player Losses Dates
Jack Grealish 20 May 2015-
George McCartney 18 Jan 03-Mar 06
Chris Lowe 17 Dec 18-Apr 19
Kevin Kilbane 16 Dec 02-May 03
Michael Gray 16 Dec 02-Feb 04GREALISH’S
HORROR RUN
P. S
GREALISH last tasted victory in the
Premier League in a 1-0 win over
West Ham — 1,563 days ago.(^) IN ASSOCIATION WITH
TH A PAIR OF JACKS?
Glorious Grealish inspires Villa but
needs to get the monkey off his back
T
HE Villa Park PA
announcer kept
repeating himself
but nobody seemed
to mind.
As he read out the home line-
up before kick-off, five starters
and three substitutes were pre-
fixed with the words: ‘Please
welcome to Villa Park...’
It reflected the radical over-
haul of the Villa team
brought about by a summer
spending splurge that
amounted to more than
£130million.
But while the new faces
were welcomed with warm
applause, the biggest cheer was
reserved — as always — for Jack
Grealish. As manager Dean Smith
figures out how best to integrate a
dozen newcomers into an already
successful team, the continuity
offered by Villa’s homegrown
hero will be crucial in smoothing
the transition.
Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Bourne-
mouth — after the visitors struck
early on through a Joshua King
penalty and a Harry Wilson (right)
goal which were the result of
errors by new signings Tom
Heaton and Douglas Luiz — was
far from Grealish’s most
impressive performance.
Bournemouth did a sterling job
of restricting the midfielder’s room
to manoeuvre and weren’t afraid
to put in a meaty challenge to slow
him down. Indeed, Philip Billing
was exceedingly fortunate to
escape a second yellow card for a
crunching tackle on Grealish.
But the midfielder was inevitably
at the centre of anything positive
Villa did. Though he may now hold
the unenviable distinction of being
the first player to lose 20
consecutive Premier League
games, Grealish helped ensure
Villa retained a creative spark that
yielded 22 shots at goal.
On many other afternoons, they
would have emerged victorious
and with Grealish in their ranks,
Villa shouldn’t have too many
worries about relegation.
He made them tick but he also
missed a sitter, heading over the
bar from six yards in the second
half. Grealish was also to blame
for Harry Kane’s first goal last
weekend in their defeat to
Spurs when he was robbed
on the edge of his own area.
As much as he is adored at
Villa it hasn’t been a dream
return to the Premier League
for the 23-year-old.
But there was enough on
show from the home side to
impress Eddie Howe. The
Bournemouth manager
said: ‘Villa will be very
strong this year from
what I’ve seen.
They’re tough
opponents with
quality players and offensively
they can hurt you.’
If Grealish had scored that
header in the second half it could
easily have been a different out-
come but once Smith’s revamped
squad gels that unwanted record
run will come to an end.
It wasn’t too long ago that
Bournemouth were on their own
Premier League learning curve
and here they showed the fruits
of experience to hold on for
three points.
‘Today was one of my favourite
wins because we ground it out on
a very tough day,’ said defender
Steve Cook. Not that Bourne-
mouth can get too high — it’s
Manchester City on Sunday.
ASTON VILLA (4-3-3): Heaton 5;
Elmohamady 5, Engels 6, Mings 6, Taylor 6;
McGinn 6.5, Luiz 6, Grealish 6.5; Trezeguet 5.5
(Davis 87min), Wesley 6, El Ghazi 6 (Jota 75, 6).
Subs not used: Steer, Targett, Konsa,
Lansbury, Hourihane.
Scorer: Luiz 71.
Manager: Dean Smith 6.5.
BOURNEMOUTH (4-4-2): Ramsdale 7;
Smith 6.5, Cook 7, AKE 7.5, Daniels 6.5;
H Wilson 7 (Solanke 76), Billing 5
(Surman 46, 6), Lerma 7, Fraser 6.5;
C Wilson 7, King 7. Subs not used:
Boruc, Stacey, Rico, Mepham, Ibe.
Scorers: King 2 (pen),
H Wilson 12.
Booked: Billing, Ake.
Manager:
Eddie Howe 7.
Referee: Martin
Atkinson 6.
Attendance:
40,996.
ADAM
SHERGOLD
at Villa Park
1
2
King 2 (pen),
H Wilson 12
BOURNEMOUTH
Luiz 71
ASTON VILLA
Yikes! Gunners new boy
gives the Emirates a scare
No panic: David Luiz sizes up his options as he is closed
down in his own penalty area by Burnley’s front men
High-wire act:
the Brazilian
slides the riskiest
of passes across
his own goal-line
1 2
3