Walsall v Aston Villa: Pictures from the game
Latest Aston Villa pictures from BirminghamLive as the Villans draw at Walsall in their first pre-season friendly ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign
Aston Villa kicked off pre-season with a 1-1 draw at League Two side Walsall on Saturday afternoon.
Unai Emery's side found themselves 1-0 down in the first half after Danny Johnson tapped in from close range after Villa failed to clear their lines from a corner. The Saddlers matched the Villans for large parts of the game having played their first pre-season match on Tuesday with a win over Leamington.
But Villa responded towards the end of the opening 45 minutes as Ollie Watkins converted a penalty after Philogene was fouled in the box.
Villa's academy stars fared well and created multiple chances in search of a winner, but the match ended in a stalemate with a large number of changes in the second half.
Lucas Digne in pre-season action for Aston Villa against Walsall
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Lucas Digne of Aston Villa
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Aston Villa's Emiliano Buendia (right) and Walsall's Ryan Stirk battle for the ball during the pre-season friendly match at the Poundland Bescot Stadium.
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Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery
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