Aston Villa winger Morgan Rogers has publicly criticised Sunderland for posting a clip of a heavy challenge on him during Sunday’s 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light.
The flashpoint came in the second half as Villa chased a winner against ten-man Sunderland. Rogers surged down the left flank only to be cut down by Trai Hume, who clattered into him with a forceful tackle. Despite the defender being nowhere near the ball, the referee chose not to issue a card.
The home fans roared their approval, and Sunderland later shared the moment on their official channels. Rogers, however, was unimpressed. Taking to Instagram, he reposted the clip with a pointed message:
“Great message to send out… Dangerous tackles getting highlight reels.”
The incident capped another frustrating day for Villa, who remain winless in the Premier League. Matty Cash scored their first top-flight goal of the campaign, but Wilson Isidor equalised for Sunderland after Reinildo’s red card left the hosts with ten men. The draw leaves Unai Emery’s side languishing in the bottom three.
Trouble Brewing at Villa Park
It has been a turbulent few months for Villa following last season’s near miss on Champions League qualification. Financial restrictions forced the sale of key players over the summer, most notably academy graduate Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle – a move that reportedly unsettled members of the squad.
On the pitch, results have been poor. Five league games have yielded no victories, while Villa are also out of the Carabao Cup after losing on penalties to Brentford for the second time this season.
Emery did not mince his words after the Sunderland game, questioning his players’ effort and focus:
“We are not playing how I want. We have to recover our identity and confidence. Defensively we were lazy, and in the duels, we didn’t fight hard enough.”
Europa League Ahead
Villa now turn their attention to the Europa League, where they open their campaign against Bologna on Thursday. Emery will be hoping European competition provides a platform to reset and build momentum.
However, uncertainty continues to swirl behind the scenes, with president of football operations Monchi expected to leave the club. For Villa, both on and off the pitch, challenges are mounting.