For all the “will he, won’t he” surrounding England’s World Cup forwards, Danny Ings’s name was not even mentioned in passing. With faltering form meaning he has fallen well below the international radar, Holte End heroism must now be the aim. Afternoons such as this, when Ings’s double either side of half-time led to a come-from-behind victory, will certainly help.
But for an illness that ruled out Ollie Watkins, Ings would have begun on the bench. Instead, his contribution meant Villa’s travelling supporters could sing “Yippee-i-a” merrily, having seen Alexis Mac Allister’s early opener overturned. “Today we were talking about the best position for Ings,” said Unai Emery of the man yet to live up to his £25m price tag. “He needs to be between the centre-backs, with players to assist him. The others understood that, and it was a very good match for him. His goals were very important.”
