Aston Villa failed to take a huge step towards Champions League qualification after drawing 2-2 with already-relegated Burnley at Turf Moor. Jaidon Anthony put the Clarets ahead early on, before goals from Ross Barkley and Ollie Watkins either side of half-time turned the game in Villa's favor. However, Villa did not hold their lead for long, as Zian Flemming equalised on the hour mark.
Villa knew before kick-off that taking four points from matches against Burnley and Liverpool would mathematically seal Champions League qualification. However, they would have been targeting a maximum return in this game ahead of hosting the Reds before the Europa League final.
First Half Action
Despite falling behind early, it was actually Unai Emery's side who created the first big chance of the game. John McGinn spotted Morgan Rogers' run into the box, but from the right side of the penalty area, Rogers dragged his effort wide when he should have done much better.
Ian Maatsen struggled against Loum Tchaouna for much of the afternoon. As early as the fourth minute, the Burnley winger beat his man and crossed for Flemming, who failed to make meaningful contact with the ball.
In the eighth minute, Villa fell behind when Lesley Ugochukwu struck at goal. Emi Martinez parried the effort, allowing Anthony to pounce on the rebound from close range.
Tyrone Mings also had a slow start for Villa and was dispossessed by Hannibal in the box shortly after the hosts' opener, although Flemming's effort was blocked.
Around the half-hour mark, Tchaouna beat Maatsen again on the wing before picking out Flemming with a cross. As Ezri Konsa slipped, the Burnley forward was presented with a huge chance to double the lead, but he blazed over the bar.
Villa began to grow into the game shortly after. In the 33rd minute, Barkley missed a big opportunity to equalise after McGinn pulled the ball back to him from the byline.
Soon after, Youri Tielemans saw his effort tipped over the bar by Max Weiss. From the resulting play, Morgan Rogers flashed the ball across goal for Ollie Watkins to head home. Villa thought they had equalised, but VAR ruled him offside.
Just five minutes later, shortly before the break, McGinn's inswinging corner was glanced in at the near post by Barkley.
Second Half Drama
Ten minutes into the second half, Villa had another lucky escape when Flemming could not quite get on the end of Hannibal's pass across the box, before Watkins fired Villa into the lead.
Racing onto Martinez's long ball down the middle of the pitch, Watkins held off the Burnley defenders before finishing past Weiss in front of the Villa fans behind the goal.
However, more sloppy play from Villa resulted in a Burnley leveller, as Matty Cash was robbed of the ball. Hannibal then flicked it into Flemming's path, and he struck past Martinez.
Barkley came close to doubling his tally in the 65th minute when he was slipped in by Watkins, but Burnley defender Maxime Esteve made a crucial intervention to deny him.
Emi Buendia was one of several players who came on for Villa late on, and he was denied a penalty despite appearing to have been caught by Kyle Walker in the box.
Burnley missed a huge chance in the fifth minute of second half added time when Zeki Amdouni failed to get a clean contact on the ball after being picked out inside the box.
Player Ratings
Emi Martinez: 6. Martinez should have done much better with Ugochukwu's effort, before Anthony followed up on the rebound. He played a key role in Watkins' goal by pinging a long pass through the middle of the pitch.
Matty Cash: 4. Cash enjoyed getting forward in the first half, but there were often no takers for his deliveries into the box. He was caught out for Burnley's second goal just after Villa had gone ahead in the game.
Ezri Konsa: 6. Konsa slipped when the ball was pulled back to Flemming in the box, which was a huge let-off for Villa. Defended well one vs one.
Tyrone Mings: 4. Mings was dispossessed inside his own box after Burnley's opener, but Flemming did not take the chance after receiving the ball from Hannibal. He looked suspect at times and was booked for a late tackle on Hannibal in the 49th minute.
Ian Maatsen: 3. Maatsen started his 16th league start of the campaign this afternoon but was beaten time and time again by Tchaouna down the flank. A difficult afternoon for the left-back on his return to Turf Moor.
Victor Lindelof: 5. Lindelof retained his place in midfield this afternoon, playing alongside Tielemans. He dropped into a back three when Villa had possession, similar to how Boubacar Kamara would before his injury.
Youri Tielemans: 6. Tielemans lost out in midfield on a few occasions. He still produced some quality on the ball and forced Weiss to tip his shot over from distance in the 35th minute.
John McGinn: 7. The skipper created the first chance of the game for Rogers, and then put the ball on a plate for Barkley before half-time, though his teammate failed to convert from close range. He later found him again from a corner, which was eventually scored.
Ross Barkley: 7. Barkley came back into the side and operated in an advanced midfield role. The 32-year-old cushioned a shot just wide of the post before making up for it by heading Villa level.
Morgan Rogers: 5. Rogers should have done better after being played in by McGinn early on, but dragged his shot wide of the far post. He combined well with teammates in the final third and would have had an assist to his name had Watkins been onside. He drifted in and out of the game.
Ollie Watkins: 7. He hardly had a kick in the first half an hour but became more effective in possession thereafter. The offside call which denied him an equaliser looked tight. He got on the scoresheet early in the second half with a classic Watkins goal—his 12th league goal of the season.
Substitutes
Lucas Digne (for Maatsen, 75'): N/A
Emi Buendia (for Digne, 75'): N/A
Douglas Luiz (for Barkley, 80'): N/A
Lamare Bogarde (for Cash, 80'): N/A
Leon Bailey (for McGinn, 85'): N/A
Subs not used: Bizot, Torres, Abraham, Sancho.
Goals
Burnley: Anthony (8'), Flemming (59')
Aston Villa: Barkley (42'), Watkins (55')
