Overview

• Ollie Watkins had a second-half penalty saved by Łukasz Skorupski in Thursday’s 1-0 Europa League win over Bologna.
• Villa were eliminated by Brentford in a Carabao Cup shoot-out last week, sharpening focus on their spot-kick reliability.
• John McGinn said on Villa TV that Donyell Malen was designated to take the Bologna penalty and that Watkins stepped up only after Malen had been substituted.
• Excluding shoot-outs, Watkins has scored six and missed seven club penalties, including misses in four of the last five Villa seasons.
• Youri Tielemans’ broader record is stronger, and fan outlets are urging Unai Emery to set and enforce a firm hierarchy to prevent more costly misses.