What Ollie Watkins did to Nicolo Zaniolo on dazzling debut as Vincent Kompany nails Aston Villa verdict

Aston Villa extended their winning run in all competitions to three games with a 3-1 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday afternoon.

Matty Cash scored a brace inside the first 20 minutes of the game, before Lyle Foster halved Burnley's deficit just minutes after the second half restart. Moussa Diaby then restored Villa's two-goal advantage against the run of play with a fine finish in front of the travelling fans behind the goal.

Diaby has made a stunning impact since joining Villa from Bayer Leverkusen earlier in the summer transfer window. He has scored two goals in Villa's first couple of trips on the road this Premier League season, and is proving why the club pulled out all the stops to bring him to Villa Park.

DIABY'S QUALITY TELLS

Top players are capable of changing the flow of a game, and pulling their team out of trouble. There was no doubt that Villa were struggling after Foster bagged on the 47th minute, and the Clarets were on top in the first 15 minutes of the second half.

But Diaby needed just one opportunity to kill the game off for Villa, at a time in which Emery's side were under the cosh. John McGinn turned in the middle of the park, and after rolling past centre-back Ameen Al Dakhil, the Scot played the ball out wide to Lucas Digne, who fizzed it across the box for Diaby to sweep into the far corner, beyond James Trafford.

Diaby also recorded his first assist of the season as he set-up Cash's second goal with a devastating pattern of play. After Diego Carlos punched the ball into Ollie Watkins, the striker picked Cash out on the right, before he played a one-two with Diaby inside the box, and finished with aplomb.

EMERY HAILS CASH'S VERSATILITY

Cash operated at right wing at Turf Moor, in place of Leon Bailey, which was a surprise selection call from Emery. Cash has rarely played in a more advanced role during his time at Villa, but Emery believes he has the attributes to make a difference in a variety of roles.

"He [Cash] played as a winger when he was younger, and for us he can be important being versatile," the Villa head coach said. "Today he played as a winger perfectly, he scored two goals, he helped us like I think he can. We have to continue improving and with him as well."

Cash scored the second brace of his career on Sunday despite going without a goal throughout the whole of last season. He gives Emery yet another option, while Konsa continued to impress from right-back too.

McGINN'S INSTRUMENTAL ROLE

He won't grab the headlines every weekend, but McGinn plays an instrumental role for Villa, and will likely give a minimum 8/10 performance in most matches. He took an excellent first touch under pressure and lofted a perfect pass to Watkins which led to Villa's opener, before the midfielder then dragged his side forward for their third on the hour mark.

McGinn is impossible to stop when he spins and charges towards goal, as Al Dakhil found out when he tried pulling him to the floor before Villa's all-important third. The skipper occupied space in the middle of the pitch when Villa looked to counter attack after forcing through an advantage.

Emery's side are one of the Premier League's most dangerous sides in transition, with Diaby and Watkins capable of darting in the channels, while the left-back is encouraged to bomb on and make up the numbers in attack. Often carrying the ball into the final third is McGinn, who has the quality to pick the right pass, as we saw in the win at Burnley on Sunday.

ZANIOLO DAZZLES ON DEBUT

Diaby was substituted 12 minutes after he extended his side's lead and Villa fans gave him a rapturous ovation. On came Nicolo Zaniolo, dazzling with pink boots, ready to make a positive first impression.

And he did just that, with several moments of quality, but he'll have regretted not being more clinical just minutes after coming on when he had the chance to score a fourth for Villa. He raced in on goal and was caught in two minds, whether to shoot or pass to Watkins, who was waiting on his left.

Zaniolo opted to shoot, but after hesitating, his effort was blocked. Watkins went straight over to his new teammate, picked him up off the floor, patted him on the back and showed his support despite Zaniolo's decision not to roll the ball across the box.

The Italy international operated slightly right of Watkins - with McGinn on the left - and he linked play well, dropping deep to receive the ball and combine with the midfield too. He showed some flair when he nutmegged a Burnley defender before offloading the ball with a no-look pass.

KOMPANY FULL OF PRAISE FOR VILLA

Burnley boss Kompany spoke at length about Villa's qualities after the match, and admitted his side faced an uphill task on Sunday.

"Learning comes at a price in the Premier League," Kompany said at full-time. “You could see the quality of the Aston Villa team in the moments, and in the way they took their chances, so credited to them. I didn’t think we started the game bad at all, we just couldn’t get a real grip on the game.

“There was always the threat of Villa’s counters, but we created moments, chances, and in the second half we built momentum and the goal helped that, definitely.

“Just at the peak of that momentum, we conceded a goal. That’s the story of the game. We played against a very good side, of course very well coached.

He added: “When you play against good sides, everything happens a little bit faster. If you look at the other teams who got promoted with us, it’s a tough league and the entry price is probably the highest in world football in terms of the jump.

“We played against a very good side, and I don’t want to paint a negative picture, but I’m trying to say what we can bottle and continue going with. We played against a very solid, compact side, and if you look at the amount of chances we created, I don’t think many teams have had that amount of chances against Villa, but they’re a good side.

“Their strength is the counter and they are also able to pass the ball and connect with the strikers, and those are the dangers. In those moments they have enough firepower to punish teams.

"When you look at their squad, it's a very, very good team, and it's been very well coached by Unai Emery. If you look at his record since he has been there I don't think there's ever a moment where the match is boring for our fans, but it will be tough."

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