Aston Villa suffered a humbling defeat in the Europa League as they were beaten 2-1 by Dutch minnows Go Ahead Eagles in Deventer. Unai Emery's side took an early lead through Evann Guessand but missed numerous chances to extend their advantage, allowing the hosts to turn the game around with goals from Mathis Suray and Mats Deijl either side of half-time.
Villa had the opportunity to equalise late on when they were awarded a penalty after a handball by Dean James, but Emiliano Buendía skied his spot-kick. It was Villa's sixth missed penalty in the last 12 months, prompting Emery to lament his side's lack of clinical finishing from the spot. The defeat was a setback in Villa's quest to finish in the top eight of the league phase, though they remain well placed to progress.
Jadon Sancho, on his second start since joining on loan from Manchester United, failed to make a telling impact and was substituted in the second half. Villa now face an in-form Manchester City on Sunday, while their next Europa League match is against Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
Go Ahead Eagles, who were playing in the Dutch second tier as recently as 2021, produced a famous victory in front of a raucous crowd at the 10,000-capacity De Adelaarshorst. Captain Deijl described the win as potentially the biggest in the club's history, following their Dutch Cup triumph last season.
