Anwar El Ghazi was the coolest man in Villa Park when he stepped up to bury a second half penalty in Saturday’s Premier League victory against Newcastle United.
With tensions rising on the pitch and in the stands as VAR intervened to send the referee to the pitchside monitor before he eventually pointed to the spot, El Ghazi was a picture of calm.
The winger, who scored four penalties last season, showed no sign of nerves as he sent Freddie Woodman the wrong way to give Aston Villa an unassailable 2-0 lead.
“It took ages before I could take the penalty, but I tried to stay focussed,” he said.
“I had to stay focussed on scoring the goal. There was a lot of noise from the ‘keeper and everyone around me.
“I stayed focussed on scoring the goal.”
Victory was the perfect way to welcome a full house back to B6, with the crowd giving the home side an extra edge.
El Ghazi was also happy with the response to last weekend’s 3-2 loss away at Watford.
He said: “Last week was a poor performance from all of us, and it’s amazing that we can do something right in front of all of our Villa fans.
“I think we deserved three points. It’s a big difference with the fans now.
“We know we didn’t play our best game, but sometimes it’s important just to get the three points. It’s what we needed today, especially after last week.”
Watch El Ghazi's full VillaTV interview below...
