Kristoffer Ajer spent a chunk of the extended international window fielding questions about the state of mind of his Norway teammate Erling Haaland and perhaps in recent weeks he also picked up some finishing tips. Two minutes after John McGinn’s shot cannoned in via Ajer’s calf, the centre-back strode into the Villa box and kept three defenders at arm’s length before equalising, his side-foot shot also catching a nick off a defender, on this occasion Victor Lindelöf. For the second time in the game, one team cancelled out the other within two minutes; just 88 seconds separated Yehor Yarmolyuk’s opener, born from Jaidon Anthony pressing Tyrone Mings, from Nicolas Jackson’s simple equaliser.
It was a strange, seesawing and tempestuous game and a busy one for Ajer, who was also booked late on for questioning a decision by Craig Pawson, who managed the impressive feat of drawing ire from both sets of supporters. Unai Emery had dipped into expletive to make it clear he was not enamoured of Villa’s previous home performance, describing their display in defeat by Nottingham Forest as “very shit”, and his side’s failure to hold on to the lead against Brentford extended their winless record since the Villa Park revamp left the ground with just three stands in play. Ajer’s equaliser – his first goal in club football for two and a half years – served as confirmation that Villa had threats coming at them from all angles.
Yarmolyuk hammered the ball in but Villa quickly replied. Emi Buendía’s shot deflected off Jannik Schuster and Jackson nipped around the back of Ajer to finish unmarked from the six-yard box. Buendía missed a chance to gain the lead in the first half, crashing to his knees theatrically, just after Michael Kayode, fresh from scoring on his Italy debut during the break, had superbly blocked Johan Manzambi’s low strike.
Caoimhín Kelleher made a brilliant, instinctive double save on the verge of half-time to deny Jackson and then McGinn. After the interval his opposite number was called into a fine save, Zion Suzuki pushing wide a Schade volley. Emery clenched both fists and momentarily basked in the joy of Villa taking the lead on 77 minutes.
Manzambi had the coolness of mind to locate McGinn, who celebrated by dragging his shorts high above his waist in a retort to the chants about his weight. But a roaming, towering Ajer had the final say at the end.
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