Young spirited chaps go toe to toe...

with near full strength first-choice Villa side!
Impressive, considering Villa are further along in their preparations as well (they've played two prior matches).

Youthful debutants gave a good account of themselves (sprinkles of brilliant attacking play, Omari Hutchinson mostly at the heart of it), small minority were playing within themselves from their usual expressive / expansive ways but that's ok, understandable...nothing more pleasing than seeing potential quality coming through the ranks.
Stern test passed and more solid building blocks to come. Onwards and upwards, exciting.

Now the senior players on the other hand...alarming how out of place they looked. I knew Aubameyang was deplorable, never anticipated he'd be this objectively bad a signing. Inadequate nature of his play and effort stuck out like a sore thumb.
On-course to being the worst of the has-been signings on a rapid downward spiral. No redeeming qualities. The sooner he's out, the better. Rotten.