Villa outclass AZ Alkmaar to claim 4-1 win in the Conference League

Two goals in the first half by Leon Bailey and Youri Tielemans, followed by another two by Ollie Watkins and John McGinn in the second period saw Aston Villa secure a 4-1 win over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League this evening.

Unai Emery has won the Europa League title four times in his career, and while many Villa supporters have a desire for the club to make a genuine attempt at winning the Conference League, it will be interesting to see if they prioritise their lofty league ambitions above the third-tier European competition.

The match started with Villa looking the brighter of the sides during the opening exchanges, closing down their opponents quickly and making it hard for them to keep sustained possession of the ball.

While . . .