Aston Villa’s US tour ended on a disappointing note as they suffered their third consecutive defeat, this time at the hands of Mexican champions Club America. Illian Hernandez scored the only goal of the match, beating the offside trap and calmly finishing past Villa’s young goalkeeper Oliwier Zych. The loss follows earlier defeats against RB Leipzig and Columbus Crew on tour.
Villa had their chances to take the lead before Hernandez’s goal, with Leon Bailey’s strike hitting the base of the post and captain John McGinn hitting the woodwork from the rebound. However, Club America finished the game strongly and secured the victory, backed by their passionate Mexican fan base.
Unai Emery, Villa’s manager, acknowledged the disappointing result but saw it as an opportunity to gather valuable information about his team. “This match in pre-season was to try to find our feet and to show ourselves against America with a lot of Mexican fans here,” said Emery. “We played trying to get fit and to work on things tactically, trying to show with our performance where we’re going with different players.”
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace concluded their US tour on a positive note, defeating Premier League rivals West Ham 3-1 in the Stateside Cup. Tyrick Mitchell gave Palace an early lead, scoring just 30 seconds into the match. West Ham equalized through Michail Antonio, but goals from Jeffrey Schlupp and Odsonne Edouard secured the win for Palace.
West Ham’s new manager, Julen Lopetegui, acknowledged that there is still work to be done before the start of the Premier League season. “This showed us that we have 15 days in front of us to keep on working very hard and to try to evolve the players we have as soon as possible, and the new players, too,” said Lopetegui. “We are working hard and we know that we have worked very, very hard, so it’s possible that the legs were a little bit tired.”
In another match, Wolverhampton Wanderers ended their US tour with a comfortable 3-0 victory against German side RB Leipzig. An own goal from Lukas Klostermann gave Wolves the lead, followed by goals from Pablo Sarabia and Rodrigo Gomes. Gomes, a summer signing, has been in impressive form throughout pre-season, scoring three goals in two games.
Wolves’ manager, Gary O’Neil, praised Gomes for his performances and highlighted his ability to constantly threaten the opposition’s goal. “He’s a real threat because he works tirelessly and always arrives in the goal,” said O’Neil. “It’s been good to see how he fits in and he’s had a good week.”
Overall, the US tour provided valuable opportunities for these Premier League teams to assess their players, work on tactics, and build fitness ahead of the upcoming season. While results may not have gone their way, the experience gained and the lessons learned will be crucial as they prepare for the challenges ahead.